The Chicago Headline Club and the Chicago Headline Club Foundation are pleased to announce Borderless Magazine and Investigative Project on Race and Equity as recipients of the 2024 intern grant awards.
“We’re proud to stand alongside organizations at the forefront of promoting racial equity and immigrant rights through investigative and community-centered journalism,” CHC Foundation President Molly McDonough said. “This year, our grantees are laser-focused on amplifying underrepresented voices and shedding light on issues crucial to building a more equitable media landscape.”
Chicago-based Borderless Magazine works with immigrants and their allies to tell their stories and trains journalists to report on immigration issues more ethically.
“We’re so honored to receive the Chicago Headline Club grant for our Pathways program, which provides paid internship and fellowship opportunities for journalists,” Borderless Executive Director and Co-Founder Nissa Rhee said. “Our work with emerging journalists from immigrant communities is essential to our mission of reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future.”
The Investigative Project on Racial Equity exposes and addresses racial, economic and social disparities in Chicago communities through fact-based reporting, data-driven storytelling and media training.
The Investigative Project collaborates with Chicago media partners on long-form investigative reporting on race and equity and is building a training institute to teach, coach and mentor early-career journalists in data-driven journalism focused on race and equity issues. Interns will participate directly in these projects, learning from and working with veteran journalists.
This hands-on approach is precisely what the foundation likes to see grantees provide.
“We are most grateful for the generous support of the Chicago Headline Club Foundation,” said Angela Caputo, the Investigative Project on Race and Equity project director. “The grant will provide a critical boost to our mission–to strengthen Chicago’s journalism ecosystem by building a skilled pipeline of diverse journalists.”
[Disclosure: Laura Washington, who serves on the boards of the Investigative Project and CHC Foundation, as well as the foundation’s internship grant committee chair, recused herself from voting and participating in this year’s selection process.]
Selection of grantees is a challenge, given the number of deserving applicants committed to supporting rising journalists. The CHC Foundation is incredibly grateful to the donors and supporters who continue to make these grants possible.
The Chicago Headline Club Foundation annually awards up to two $5,000 grants to fund internships at not-for-profit media organizations. The funds are designated to support the direct costs of internships from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Applicants represented an array of nonprofit print, broadcast, online and alternative news media organizations in Chicago. The foundation board selected recipients based on their commitment to providing hands-on, impactful experiences and stipends for journalism interns.
Applications for next year’s grants will open in December 2024.
About the Chicago Headline Club FoundationThe Chicago Headline Club Foundation is an IRS-recognized 501c3 nonprofit devoted to providing education and related services to Chicago-area journalism. Its mission is to provide funding to professional, student and citizen journalists for the enhancement of responsible and ethical media practices. More here.