Six diverse journalists in New Jersey awarded reporting fellowships to cover 2024 elections
In partnership with NJ Spotlight News, this journalism fellowship is part of the NJ Decides 2024 collaborative project
The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair University is thrilled to announce six reporting fellows from New Jersey ethnic media outlets who will cover the 2024 general elections.
The Center’s election fellows will focus on producing underreported stories in New Jersey’s ethnic and migrant communities related to this fall’s general election, including a nexus of social issues that matter to voters such as migration, economy, safety and health, and environmental concerns.
In partnership with NJ Spotlight News, this journalism fellowship is part of the NJ Decides 2024 collaborative project and is funded by a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
The fellows — who currently work for statewide Portuguese, Pakistani, Korean, Filipino and Spanish-language publications, and one news organization that serves the African American community in Atlantic City — will be paired with NJ Spotlight News reporters and an adviser who will provide mentorship in reporting and writing.
The six fellows were selected because of their in-depth knowledge about critical congressional districts and reporting experience in their communities. The fellowship runs from May to November 2024. Each fellow will produce at least one story throughout the duration of the project and will receive $1,000 for their participation.
The fellows are:
- Henrique Mano, editor-at-large, Luso Americano (Portuguese)
- Mark Tyler, editor, Atlantic City Focus (African American)
- Kleibeel Marcano, editor, Reporte Hispano (Latino)
- Jongwon Park, deputy editor, The Korea Daily (Korean)
- Maricarmen Amado, editor, New Jersey Hispano (Latino)
- Adonis Tagala, senior reporter, ABS-CBN News (Filipino)
New Jersey is home to about 1.2 million naturalized U.S. citizens, making up about 13 percent of the state’s population. Between the period of 2016 and 2020, New Jersey had the fifth highest number of naturalized citizens in the United States, and most of them were immigrants who arrived in the country within the last 15 years. In 2024, these newly minted citizens could make a difference when New Jersey’s 13 federal seats (one in the U.S. Senate and 12 in the U.S. House) are up for election.
“This fellowship will give the participating news outlets an opportunity to explore election-related issues that matter to underserved and underrepresented communities,” said Manya Brachear Pashman, who is coordinating the Center’s 2024 NJ Decides collaborative work with NJ Spotlight News. “We hope these kind of efforts will also promote inclusivity and equity in news reporting, particularly during this election year, and bridge some of the information gaps between communities.”
Oni Advincula is the ethnic media coordinator at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Contact him at advinculaa@montclair.edu.
About the Center for Cooperative Media: The Center is a primarily grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. Its mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center is supported with funding from Montclair State University, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, the Independence Public Media Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, visit centerforcooperativemedia.org.
