Autopsy Finds Accidental Head Injury From a Fall
‘Sources’ Name CBS Journalists of Color on Layoff List
Spanish-Language Journalist Freed from ICE Custody
Chavez Revelations Earn Praise for Journalism
Save the Date: March 24 for Roundtable on Student Journalists of Color (Notices 3-13-26, updated)

Homepage photo credit: Facebook

Updated March 23

“She was respected and admired throughout the journalism community,” the National Association of Hispanic Journalists said of Diana R. Fuentes. “She mentored and inspired Latino and women journalists for decades, beginning in Texas newsrooms and continuing nationwide.” Here, Fuentes speaks at the Journal-isms Roundtable last November. (Credit: Jeanine L Cummins)

Autopsy Finds Accidental Head Injury From a Fall

Diana R. Fuentes, the beloved executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors, a leader in Texas newsrooms and a champion for diversity, press freedom and investigative reporting, died Friday in Washington after attending conferences related to Sunshine Week, the annual commemoration of the right to access government information. She was 67.

Tom Lynch, deputy director in the Office of Communications of the Metropolitan Police Department, told Journal-isms that “Fifth District officers and DC Fire and EMS responded” to the home of a prominent Hispanic journalist “around 11:15 a.m. Friday. One adult female was located deceased inside of a residence, of apparent natural causes. The decedent was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where a cause and manner of death will be determined.”

An autopsy was performed Saturday, the medical examiner’s office said Monday. Fuentes died from a blunt force injury to the head, due to a fall, it found.

The IRE Board of Directors held an emergency meeting Sunday “to remember Diana, Dee Dee to friends and family, as well as [to determine] the immediate next steps and the timeline for IRE’s future.”

The board voted to nominate Fuentes for induction into its Ring of Honor, established in 2022 “to celebrate members who have made a significant contribution to the organization and to investigative journalism. . . . Organizers will be raising $2,500 to support Diana’s nomination, and all additional money raised will go toward a future IRE training fund, to be established in her name,” the board announced Monday.

[“Lauren Grandestaff will serve as interim executive director, and Francisco Vara-Orta as interim deputy executive director. Grandestaff and Vara-Orta are two trusted leaders committed to continuing IRE’s mission,” IRE announced Tuesday.]

Social media filled quickly with tributes and remembrances Saturday as IRE, and later the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and other journalism organizations, spread word of Fuentes’ passing.

“She was such a warm, giving person,” David Cuillier (pictured), director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, told Journal-isms.

“She moderated a panel on FOI journalism Tuesday afternoon and also participated in a special convening Sunday of two dozen FOI experts. We wrapped up Tuesday night.”

Nora Lopez (pictured), executive editor at the San Antonio Express-News and former NAHJ president, wrote on Facebook:

“DeeDee was an amazing woman, journalist and friend. She had a heart of gold and was the nicest person I’ve ever known. She would help anyone who needed help, friends, colleagues and complete strangers, too, like the homeless who walked around the Express-News offices downtown. DeeDee knew them by name. And don’t even get me started on how many animals she rescued and fed. She was the kind of person who carried food and water for any strays she might encounter.

“But her lasting legacy will be the many, many journalists she mentored and edited in her long career as a reporter and later as an editor. She rose into big leadership roles, including editor at the Laredo Morning Times and editor/publisher at the Del Rio News Herald. She helped jumpstart many aspiring journalists’ careers. She was also managing editor at the Beaumont Enterprise and deputy editor at the Express-News, where she retired in 2021. She went on to become the Executive Director of Investigative Reporters & Editors.

“She was very active in a number of journalism organizations, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Texas Managing Editors, the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Society of Professional Journalists-San Antonio Pro Chapter. As part of the SPJ board, she was very active in pulling together the [Gridiron] program.

“I have in no way done justice in the above post to this amazing colega and friend. She is a legend and will be greatly missed.”

Investigative Reporters & Editors is the nation’s largest organization of journalists, with a membership that regularly hovers around 4,800 to 4,900, sometimes rising to 5,000 and sometimes dipping slightly below 4,800, Fuentes told Journal-isms last year.

The National Association of Black Journalists had 4,259 voting members, according to figures announced at its convention membership meeting last August. It was followed by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, at 3,654, spokesperson Andrew Sherry said at the time. The Society of Professional Journalists had about 3,800 members as of Aug. 31, President Emily Bloch said then.

“We actually have seen an increase in people who are asking for diversity training because they’re not getting it anywhere else,” Fuentes told the Journal-isms Roundtable in November. “And so we’re ready to serve and we do. Our membership, despite all these layoffs . . . decimating newsrooms right and left, has maintained at about 30 percent journalists of color.

“So they still want the training. People are still out there and are maintaining.” Though other events intervened, Fuentes said she looked forward to participating in the “Demand Diversity Roundtable” in January, a pro-diversity strategy session led by the National Urban League.

The Roundtable plans to toast Fuentes’ memory at its session this coming Tuesday. (video, tributes start at 00:02:40.000)

“I had never met Diana Fuentes before co-chairing the IRE committee that nominated her to be Executive Director,” Mark J. Rochester, until recently executive director of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, wrote on LinkedIn. “But her passion for investigative journalism was clear to all of us on that committee as well as her belief that we could do so much more to bring more women and journalists of color into watchdog journalism. She kept in touch even after I left the board and I never saw any evidence of that passion or commitment waning. This is so tragic!”

Lopez wrote, as did others, “”Her family says they will share services as soon as they are set.”

March 26 update from Investigative Reporters & Editors:

Diana R. Fuentes, a glass ceiling breaker who was the first person of color to lead Investigative Reporters and Editors, died unexpectedly on March 20, 2026, during a trip to Washington, D.C. Her passing is an incalculable loss for so many — Texas journalists, women in journalism, journalists of color, and all who were lucky enough to know and love her.

Diana, or Dee Dee to so many, leaves an indelible mark on the industry and her people: fellow journalists, friends, family and staff — many of whom were all four. If you have special memories and photos of her, please share them on our remembrance page.

IRE is honoring Diana’s legacy with a nomination to the Ring of Honor. In just a few hours, the IRE community raised nearly three times the amount needed to induct her into the prestigious award. We are still raising money toward a future IRE training fund to be established in her name. If Diana’s work, mentorship or mission impacted you or if you believe in building a more inclusive future for investigative journalism, please consider donating.

A scholarship has also been created in her name at Texas State University. Sister journalism organizations around the globe continue to uplift Diana, her legacy and her impact on the industry.

A powerhouse journalist and fierce advocate for a free, diverse and ethical press, Diana was, above all, a woman of tremendous strength, kindness and spirit. Her laugh was infectious, her determination was ever-present and her belief in the good in people was unwavering. We honor Diana every day as we work to be more kind, more empathetic and more committed to the important work we do.

The IRE office will be closed on Friday, March 27th, for Diana’s services in Del Rio, Texas, this weekend.

We will honor Diana by continuing the work she cared so deeply about and by showing up for one another with the same empathy, courage and integrity she embodied.

Here’s how you can honor Diana’s legacy:

• Share your memories and photos of Diana on her remembrance page.

• Support her Ring of Honor nomination and training fund.

• Read her obituary, written by Scott Huddleson for the San Antonio Express-News.

• Raise a glass — her favorite, a vodka gimlet.

We will miss you dearly, Dee Dee. We will carry your legacy forward in all that we do.

–– Sincerely,

The IRE Staff

• Brechner News, University of Florida: In memory of Diana Fuentes champion of FOI and journalism 

• Zach Davis, Laredo Morning Times: A legend lost: Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes leaves legacy across Texas and beyond 

• Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News: Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes was natural leader, champion of journalism and newsroom diversity (March 24)

• Texas Public Radio: Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes, influential Texas journalist and mentor, dies

• Mc Nelly Torres, Substack: Vaya con Dios Diana “Dee Dee” Fuentes (March 25)

Social Media

• Rebecca Aguilar

• Asian American Journalists Association

• Gilbert Bailon

• Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas

• San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists

Elaine Quijano served as a CBS News correspondent and the weekend morning anchor for the CBS New York (WCBS-TV) local affiliate.

‘Sources’ Name CBS Journalists of Color on Layoff List

The 6 percent of CBS News employees to lose their jobs — in cuts that also include the closing of CBS Radio after 100 years — include several journalists of color, according to unnamed sources quoted by the New York Post and Los Angeles Times.

“Among those on the TV side hit by the layoffs were Elaine Quijano, a longtime correspondent and anchor who moderated the 2016 vice presidential debate between Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mike Pence,” Stephen Battaglio reported Friday for the Los Angeles Times.

“Omar Villafranca, a Dallas-based correspondent frequently seen on ‘CBS Evening News,’ was also let go, according to people familiar with decision.”

Alexandra Steigrad of the New York Post, quoting “sources,” added Los Angeles-based correspondent Nidia Cavazos; Las Vegas-based correspondent Andres Gutierrez and Karen Hua, a national reporter in Houston.

While these journalists have not released official statements, Wikipedia and some media watchdogs have updated the status of at least one, Quijano, to “formerly with CBS.”

The shuttering of CBS Radio “marked the end of an era at CBS, which follows years of cutbacks at the network,” Battaglio wrote.

“CBS sold its own radio stations in 2017, but continued to offer hourly network newscasts to affiliate stations, including ‘World News Roundup,’ which has been on the air since 1938. Legendary CBS News journalist Edward R. Murrow — who would become a nationally recognized anchor covering the international battlefields of World War II and the domestic ‘Red Scare’ of the McCarthy era — delivered his first report on the program.”

Over the years, many CBS journalists of color worked directly for CBS Radio or aired reports there as part of their overall duties.

“I first met Ed Bradley (pictured above in his radio days) much later of CBS’s ’60-Minutes’ fame, in 1967, the year we both began at WCBS,” his colleague Don Swaim wrote of their radio days. “He came up from Philly, I from Baltimore. Bradley was about five years younger and intimidating, some six-feet tall with an Afro and long sideburns.”

• Bryan Brunati, Radar: EXCLUSIVE: Bari Weiss Blamed for ‘CBS Evening News’ Major Ratings Downfall — As New Boss Accused of Turning Network into ‘State-run Media for Trump’

Spanish-Language Journalist Freed from ICE Custody

“After more than two weeks in ICE custody, Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodríguez walked out of a Louisiana detention center Thursday afternoon, free on bond,” Mikeie Honda Reiland reported Thursday for the Nashville Banner.

“ ‘Today we celebrate that Estefany has been released from the ICE detention center in Louisiana and is on her way home to be with her family,’ Mike Holley, an attorney with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition representing Rodríguez’s habeas case in federal court, said in a statement. ‘We are grateful that Estefany is able to walk away with her freedom to be with her family as she continues to fight for her right to remain in her community and in the U.S.’ ”

The case has attracted widespread concern in journalism circles. “Rodríguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S. lawfully and has been living in the country for the past five years, according to court records filed by her lawyer,” Jonathan Mattise reported Thursday for the Associated Press.

“She has a valid work permit, and she has applied for political asylum and legal status through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. She had no criminal history, a steady employment record, ties to the community, and a 7-year-old daughter at home, her attorneys said.

“In a wrongful detention court challenge aided by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, Rodríguez’s attorneys argue she was targeted because her reporting has been critical of ICE’s practices under President Donald Trump’s administration, saying her First Amendment rights and Fifth Amendment due process rights were violated.

“The government has said there was no such violation for what was the agency’s discretionary decision to begin removal proceedings and said First Amendment rights ‘may not even be applicable to an illegal alien.’

“Several press associations have put forth their own legal brief, warning of potential pitfalls from arresting reporters who are not U.S. citizens.

“ ‘The predictable consequence of the arrest and detention of these individuals is to end that speech and to chill a vast amount of future speech, especially by non-citizen journalists fearful that hard-hitting reporting on sensitive topics could lead to their detention,’ according to the brief led by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.”

• Araceli Crescencio and Mikeie Honda Reiland, Nashville Banner: Jailed Journalist Estefany Rodríguez Speaks After Release: ‘Not Knowing About My Family Was Terrifying’ (March 25)

• Nashville Banner reporter Mikeie Honda Reiland discuss the case (audio)

• Caitlin Vogus, Freedom of the Press Foundation: No First Amendment for some immigrant journalists or sources, gov’t says

In 2021, Manny Fernandez, Los Angeles bureau chief and a national editor at The New York Times, discusses his career and offer valuable advice to early career journalists and college students aspiring to become reporters. Robert Lopez of the Los Angeles Times and CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California, leads the conversation. (Credit: YouTube)

Chavez Revelations Earn Praise for Journalism

“A statue of Cesar Chavez at Fresno State was taken down Friday,“ Melissa Montalvo wrote Sunday for California’s Fresno Bee. “Fresno City Council is moving forward with plans to rename Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

“During a Council discussion on Thursday, Councilmember Miguel Arias acknowledged the importance of journalism and truth telling. ‘This is a reminder that journalism is essential to accountability in our system of democracy, and I want to thank the journalists for that. Although what they reported has been devastating to many of us, it was necessary and even when the truth is painful, we need it,” Arias said.

Montalvo was writing about Fresno native Manny Fernandez, “one of the journalists who authored the bombshell New York Times investigation that exposed how civil rights leader Cesar Chavez allegedly groomed and abused children and raped women.”

“Fernandez, 52, said growing up in Fresno gave him unique insights into the farmworker community. ‘I understood this world very much and in a personal way,’ he said in a phone interview with The Bee. ‘It was important to me to work on this story because I’m investigating the very community I’m from,’ Fernandez said in a video accompanying the investigation. ‘My grandparents started out as farmworkers here in the Central Valley of California.’ ”

Montalvo also wrote, “When asked in a 2021 interview with the nonprofit journalist organization CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California, how he balances his Latino identity with his role as a journalist, Fernandez said he searches for stories about the working class and voices that otherwise wouldn’t be in the New York Times.

“ ‘I’m looking to do stories that capture my own upbringing and the neighborhood where I was born and raised in Fresno,’ he said.

“Today, Fernandez is considered one of the most prominent journalists to emerge from the Fresno State journalism program. . . .”

Nationally, most of the follow-up stories about the Chavez investigation were about government or community efforts to remove Chavez’s name from places of honor, but the Dallas Morning News went a step further, involving readers Friday via Instagram. Who should be honored instead? the Morning News asked.

The callout yielded about 39 responses by Friday afternoon, Suryatapa Chakraborty wrote Sunday. They included Juanita Craft, civil rights leader and Dallas council member; Dirk Nowitzki, retired from the NBA; Chavez’ colleague Dolores Huerta; actor Owen Wilson; Vanessa Guillen, sexually harassed U.S. Army specialist; musician Stevie Ray Vaughan; Charlie Kirk, the late conservative political activist; President Trump; Hispanic state legislator Irma Rangel; women’s suffrage leader Rebecca Henry Hayes; actor and martial arts master Chuck Norris; and former Gov. Ann Richards.

• Melanie Mason, Dustin Gardiner and Blake Jones, Politico: Assessing the wreckage after Cesar Chavez’s fall

• Seth Maxon, Vox: What do we do with Cesar Chavez’s memory now?

• Ruben Navarrette, Creators Syndicate: I Knew Chavez Was More Sinner than Saint — Now Comes Vindication

• Alexandra Olson, Dorany Pineda and Claire Savage, Associated Press: Women farmworkers who built their own fight against sexual assault cope with Chavez allegations

• Julia Prodis, Bay Area News Group: Cesar Chavez’s Mayfair neighborhood in San Jose struggling with identity now that legend is tainted

• Motecuzoma Patrick Sanchez, Facebook: Dolores Huerta’s Secret

• Linh Tat, Press-Enterprise, Long Beach, Calif.: Cesar Chavez sex abuse scandal is a blow for many Latinos, immigrants and labor rights advocates

• Sabrina Vourvoulias, Philadelphia Inquirer: César Chávez falls off the pedestal. Dolores Huerta reveals a devastating secret. And we Latinos are reeling.

The University of Alabama stopped Nineteen Fifty-Six, named after the year the first Black student, Autherine Lucy Foster, was allowed to enroll at the university. (Credit: Nineteen Fifty-Six)

Updated March 18, March 22, March 23

Save the Date: March 24 for Roundtable on Student Journalists of Color (Notices 3-13-26, updated)

March 23: RTDNA Webinar on Reclaiming Your Career
March 23: Where Entertainment Meets Journalism
March 23: Deadline for SPJ Ethics Award Nominations
March 24: Safety Training for Journalists

March 25:A Black View of America @ 250
March 25: Advocating in Tech for Underserved Communities

March 25: In D.C., Remaking Local News
March 26: Progress on African Health Programs
March 26:  Nonprofit Local News: Careers, Pathways, Possibilities

March 26: Surveillance and the Press
March 27: Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon in D.C.
Reminder for March 28: D.C.’s Journalism Job Fair

April 2:  From Howard University — Reporting While Black
April 3: Deadline to Apply for Rosalynn Carter Fellowships
April 9: Webinar on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact on Black Households

From New York: Media Watch

From Zita Arocha: July 2026: Writing Your Life, Writing to Heal

JOBS
From these journalist organizations
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
National Association of Black Journalists
Asian American Journalists Association
Poynter Institute

Society of Professional Journalists
Public Media Jobs.
Online News Association
Rebecca Aguilar’s Journalism Job Openings: The March List” (March 18)

From Washington Association of Black Journalists

From the Uproot Project (March 17)
From Committee to Protect Journalists

Hello, all,

Our next Journal-isms Roundtable, by Zoom, will be held Tuesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. Eastern by Zoom. The subject: Student journalists of color in these times of anti-immigration and anti-DEI actions by federal, state and local authorities.

Also up for discussion: Other aspects of life for this next generation of professional journalists of color.
What problems are they having? Are they receiving enough help? What do the rest of us need to know?

This was published earlier:
Howard Students Are Rethinking Their Future In Journalism:
Black Journalists Are Under Attack, And Howard Students Are Rethinking Their Future In The Industry

And many will recall the case of Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained by the Trump administration for more than a month last year after she wrote an op-ed piece in the student newspaper advocating for Palestinians.

The Miami Herald reported: “The secretary of Miami-Dade County’s Republican Party started a group chat primarily for conservative students last fall — and within three weeks it was filled with racist slurs, someone wrote dozens of ways of violently killing Black people and the chat was renamed after what one member described as ‘Nazi heaven’ ”

Moreover, an observer says bluntly, “The state of Black college media right now is really, really bad.”

Organizations such as the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Student Press Law Center are coming to the aid of affected students, and we hope to benefit from their expertise.

With us will be Kendal Wright (pictured), editor of Nineteen Fifty-Six at the University of Alabama, who with the editor of Alice magazine, which focuses on women’s issues, was informed in December that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi on what the Trump administration considered unlawful discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding, according to one of the editors. The magazine is now being rebooted, no longer under the university’s auspices.

Likewise, Teresa Puente (pictured), who teaches at California State University, Long Beach. She says, “So far, my students haven’t faced any problems (thankfully) but I’m happy to talk about how I train them to cover immigration and other issues facing the Latinx community. We’ve also held Know Your Rights Trainings on campus. And I can talk about the impact of raids on the community at large. But also how we have to cover Latinos beyond immigration since more than 80% of us are U.S. citizens.”

We’re also expecting Nazeefa Ahmed (pictured), a current scholarship recipient from the South Asian Journalists Association who has been reporting both in Canada and the United States.

Also in the room:

• • • Daarel Burnette, senior editor at the Chronicle of Higher Education
    • Shirley Carswell, executive director at Dow Jones News Fund
    • Charlayne Hunter-Gault, veteran journalist who with Hamilton Holmes integrated the University of Georgia in 1961
    • Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation

Who’s in?

You can RSVP by hitting “reply” to this message or emailing jroundtable5 (at) gmail.com

March 21 update: We will toast the memory of Diana R. Fuentes, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, and a Roundtable regular. (Photo by Sharon Farmer, 2022)

March 23: RTDNA Webinar on Reclaiming Your Career

Upcoming Webinar: Reframe Your Story, Reclaim Your Career

Join RTDNA for an upcoming webinar focused on helping journalists navigate today’s evolving media landscape. “Reframe Your Story, Reclaim Your Career: Translating Skills for Today’s Media Ecosystem” will help media professionals identify how their existing skills translate across new roles and opportunities in the industry. The session will be led by Bridget Thoreson of Hearken and creator of MyCareerRiver.com. Thoreson will guide participants through mapping their career paths, positioning their skills and finding direction in a rapidly changing media environment. The webinar will take place Monday, March 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT. Registration is free for RTDNA members and $25 for nonmembers.

March 23: Deadline for SPJ Ethics Award Nominations

SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR ETHICS IN JOURNALISM AWARD: Strong ethics build strong journalism. Celebrate those who lead by example by submitting a nomination for the Ethics in Journalism Award. The award honors journalists or news organizations that exemplify the highest ethical standards, as outlined in the SPJ Code of Ethics. It also recognizes those who make exceptional efforts to educate the public about ethical journalism or hold journalists accountable for their actions. Last year, The Associated Press received the award for standing firm against White House pressure while continuing to report accurately and ethically on the Trump administration, even after being denied access to presidential events. Nominations are due March 23. Self-nominations are welcome.

March 24: Safety Training for Journalists

March 25: Advocating in Tech for Underserved Communities

Join MMTC, HTTP, LGBT Tech, and OCA – Asian Pacific American on March 25, 2026, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. for “Advocating for Underserved Communities – Tech Policy Briefings” at CTIA, 1400 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Advocates, issue experts, and industry representatives will give their 2026 landscape analysis about AI and data center buildout, spectrum, broadband affordability, and broadcast media.

Speakers

Joi Chaney, Founder, J.O.I. Strategies and Co-Founder of Women’s Tech and Telecom Partnership Danielle (Davis) Canty, Esq., Director of Technology Policy, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Alejandra Montoya-Boyer, Vice President, Center for Civil Rights & Technology, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Alejandro Roark, CEO, A-I Policy Forum Daiquiri Ryan Mercado, Esq., Founder & CEO, exito & co. Click the button below to register for the event. REGISTER About MMTC The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the tech, media, and telecom (TMT) industries, and closing the digital divide on behalf of its members and constituents, including owners of radio and television broadcast stations, programmers, prospective station owners, and others involved in the TMT industries. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation’s leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications. We strongly believe that the breathtaking changes in communications technology and the new global forms of media partnerships must enhance diversity in the 21st century.

Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council | 1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW 7th Floor | Washington, DC 20036 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

March 25: America at 250 – Morgan State University

USC Senior Fellows in Global Health Communication Leadership will present progress reports on their projects, which are going forward in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. The Fellows include a Malawian MP, a Kenyan researcher in HIV and Aging, the editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa, and the OneHealth lead for the Africa CDC. (Credit: USC)

March 26: Progress on African Health Programs

From Adam Powell:

You and all of our Journal-isms friends are invited

If you can join us in Washington DC or online:

You are invited to join us on Thursday, March 26, at 9 am EDT, for a forum with the 2025-26 USC Africa Fellows, in person in Washington DC, their first stop in the US. The Fellows will present progress reports on their projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.

To RSVP to join in person at George Washington University, 1957 E Street NW in Washington DC, please email Judy Kang at junghwak (at) usc.edu

To RSVP for the Zoom link, please go to https://annenberg.usc.edu/events/cclp/africaus-forum-global-health-public-diplomacy-and-international-collaboration-featuring

If you can join us in Los Angeles, we will have two public programs:

Monday 3/30 3-5 pm PDT. Same program as 3/26. Details and RSVP: https://annenberg.usc.edu/events/cclp/meet-2025-2026-usc-african-senior-fellows-global-health-communication-leadership

Tuesday 3/31 1-5 pm PDT. USC Global Health Symposium. Details and RSVP: https://globalhealth.usc.edu/iigh-event/save-the-date-2026-usc-global-health-symposium/

More details on the fellowship program at https://communicationleadership.usc.edu/2025/09/29/university-of-southern-california-welcomes-inaugural-cohort-of-african-senior-fellows-in-global-health-communication-leadership/

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you in Washington, Los Angeles and/or on line.

Regards,
Adam

Adam Clayton Powell III
Executive Director, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative
USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy
University of Southern California, and
Co-Host, “White House Chronicle” weekly on PBS, SiriusXM and https://whchronicle.com/

email acpowell (at) usc.edu
email apowell (at) alum.mit.edu

March 26:  Nonprofit Local News: Careers, Pathways, Possibilities

Webinar Date & Time

Mar 26, 2026 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Description

Whether you’re a journalism/news media veteran, starting your career, or exploring new options, get an inside look at the nonprofit local news field — how it works, where it’s growing, and the many opportunities that are available.

Register here

March 26: Surveillance and the Press

Dear Friend of Press Freedom,

Join us on Thursday, March 26, at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT, for a live webinar event, “Surveillance and the press: Why Section 702 matters now.”

Enacted in the years after 9/11, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows intelligence agencies to collect emails, calls, and messages from foreigners abroad, but in practice it also sweeps in Americans’ communications, when they interact with those targets. The FBI and other government agencies can then search Americans’ communications without a warrant.Now Congress is approaching a deadline to decide whether and how to renew or reform this law.Join Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) for an urgent discussion on how Section 702 justifies spying while harming press freedom and source protection, and what is at stake right now for the First Amendment.We’ll be joined by:

• Sean Vitka, executive director, Demand Progress
• John Dickas, deputy chief of staff, Sen. Ron Wyden
• Trevor Timm, executive director, FPF
• Moderated by Caitlin Vogus, senior adviser, FPF

Register

In addition to your attendance, please support our work defending the First Amendment by donating at freedom.press/donate.

See you Thursday

Ryan Rice
Development Coordinator
Freedom of the Press Foundation

 

March 27: Stateswomen for Justice Luncheon in D.C.

More information here. Please be sure to RSVP.

Reminder for March 28: D.C.’s Journalism Job Fair

From: Society of Professional Journalists — D.C. Chapter

SPJ’s DC chapter is teaming up with seven journalism organizations In the DMV to host its annual job fair. The fair will be at Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus, 111 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Saturday, March 28 from 10 am- 2 pm.

Georgetown University’s Master of Professional Studies in Journalism program is hosting the event. It is being organized in conjunction with the Washington, D.C., chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, NLGJA: Association of LGBTQ Journalists, the Journalism & Women Symposium and the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association.

Recruiters from Axios, Politico, DC News Now, Bloomberg, NPR, States Newsroom,, Fox Television Stations, Report for America, and NBC Universal will be among those prospective employers on hand to meet interested job candidates.

This is a ticket only event. If you are a member of one of the sponsoring journalism groups, such as the SPJ DC chapter, tickets are $10. Otherwise, it is $25.

If you would like to volunteer or are currently jobless, admission is free, but you must contact the SPJ chapter president to get the discount code. Celia Wexler’s email is cvwexler (at) gmail.com

Each chapter has a limited number of free tickets to distribute, so it makes sense to register soon.

Deadline for ticket purchase is March 26.

Book your tickets HERE.  [From Doris Truong, formerly Poynter Institute, former Asian American Journalists Association president, now independent consultant: “Admission is waived for anyone who has been laid off in the past year.”]

April 9: Webinar on ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact on Black Households

We invite you to join the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies on Thurs. April 9, 2026, at 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM for the Taxing Consumption and Work: The Cost to Black Households webinar.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) makes major changes to the federal tax code with implications that extend well beyond Washington. As federal revenue shifts and intergovernmental fiscal pressures intensify, states are likely to face renewed budget constraints which often lead to greater reliance on consumption taxes, fees, and other regressive revenue tools.

This cost shift translates into higher everyday expenses, from sales taxes and transportation costs to utility fees and local property tax pressures. Black households are particularly exposed to these shifts due to longstanding disparities in income and wealth and because state and local tax structures rely heavily on taxing work and consumption rather than accumulated wealth. . . . (From Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies)

From New York: Media Watch

Air date: 16 March 2026 Hosts: Robert Anthony, Alan Singer, PhD, and Eric V Tait, Jr:

Subject: 1) Background re the illegal War with Iran

2) Fallout and Blow-back from the Iran War

3) Israeli censorship re Iran War coverage

4) US assault on a Free Press in general and particular individual journalists, now reflected in our dismally low ranking as a nation with a free, unfettered Press.

5) Govt use of “Classified Briefings” for the Congress so they can’t then brief their constituents on the status of the War.

Tag with Rev Jesse Jackson’s Homegoing Service coverage and tRUMPs disrespect for our returning Military slain in the Iran War.

From Zita Arocha: July 2026: Writing Your Life, Writing to Heal

JOBS

From these journalist organizations

• • • National Association of Hispanic Journalists
    • National Association of Black Journalists
    • Asian American Journalists Association
    • Poynter Institute
    • Society of Professional Journalists
    • Public Media Jobs.
    • Online News Association

Rebecca Aguilar’s Journalism Job Openings: The March List” (March)

From Washington Association of Black Journalists (March 4)

• • • CityCast DC is hiring a reporter.
    • Semafor is seeking a communications and media advisor.
    • The Baltimore Banner is expanding into Prince George’s County.
    • WETA has several jobs open.
    • New Republic is hiring a staff writer.

    • Bloomberg Government is seeking a financial reporter from Capitol Hill.

    • Applications are open for ProPublica’s Investigative Editor Training Program.
    • NPR is hiring senior manager for communications.
    • The Council on Foundations is looking for a storytelling consultant.
    • American Express is looking for a director of social media.
    • Kotaku is hiring a staff reporter.

    • Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association scholarship deadline is March 20th.

    • TIME is hiring a weekend news desk editor.
    • USA TODAY is hiring for several positions.
    • WABJ’s Yolanda McCutchen is hiring a marketing consultant.
    • The Hill is looking for an editorial intern for the summer.
    • The 19th is recruiting for its 2026-2027 cohort – Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship.
    • In These Times has opened applications for its internship.
    • Forbes is hiring an education reporter.
    • Reuters has several editorial jobs open. They’re also looking for a social media editor.
    • Apply for the National Press Club Journalism Awards.
    • The IRE Conference at the National Harbor is accepting calls for ideas.
    • Cheddar is looking to hire a Freelance Multimedia Journalist based in Washington.
    • Ars Technica is hiring an arts reporter.
    • Washington City Paper is seeking a Loose Lips Reporter and a News Reporter.

From the Uproot Project (March 17)

Job Opportunities

• • • Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, Assistant Editorial Director
    • Nature, Reporter
    • The Guardian, Senior Reporter, Climate Justice
    • ProPublica, Data Reporter
    • NYT, Assistant Editor, Climate
    • Mountain State Spotlight, Environment and Energy Reporter
    • Sentient, Investigative Reporter, Iowa Reporting Project
    • Scientific American, News Intern (deadline March 26)
    • Springer Nature, Audience Engagement Intern (deadline March 27)
    • Adirondack Explorer, Digital Editor
    • VTDigger, Environmental Reporter & UVM Community News Service Mentor
    • WIRED, Senior Editor, Science
    • The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Assistant Multimedia Editor
    • Quanta Magazine, Senior Staff Editor

Fellowships & Grants

• • • Renews Project, DEI Beat Grant (deadline May 31)
    • The 19th, News Fellowship (deadline March 20)
    • Fire Newsroom, Greenlight Grants (deadline April 27th)
    • Sloan Foundation, YouTube and TikTok program

Other resources

• • • Spirit Rock, Holding Ground: Inner Resilience for Environmental Changemakers (A Free 5-Month Resilience Intensive for Climate and Justice Leaders)
    • NPR, Next Gen Radio
    • Calendar for paid internships & fellowships (courtesy of Mandy Hofmockel’s substack for journalism jobs)
    • National Press Photographers Foundation, Grants & Scholarships
    • Pitching Science Friday
    • ProPublica, Freelance Pitch Form

Webinars & events

• • • Friday, March 27, 1pm-4:30pm | DCEFF CivicEarth – Media Forum
    • 10 Steps to Resilience & Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate – Good Grief Network

From Committee to Protect Journalists: