Introducing our 2024 cohort!
In this special edition: A dynamic new group of directly-impacted storytellers, launching our alumni corner, and a contest announcement
I’m not in the business of making predictions about what the new year will look like — particularly in a presidential election year. But what I can say with near certainty is it’s going to be harder than ever for newsrooms to connect with audiences authentically, curb the spread of disinformation, and break through the noise.
So I’m comforted by the fact that at ChangeWire, we’ll be doing it with a stellar new cohort of fellows with expertise and experience in the issues that matter, told in the voices that people need to hear from.
All of our 2024 fellows are storytellers from low-income backgrounds, they span six key geographies, and represent perspectives from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. Without further ado, I’m so excited to introduce to you the folks who will continue to bring you news from the ground up.
Pamela M. Covington (she/her) is an African-American woman living in Atlanta, Georgia. She wrote her first published article while she was living on welfare. Since then, she’s been a freelance journalist, author, radio announcer, broadcast producer, documentary narrator, and TV ad spokesperson. In 2016 she self-published, “A Day at the Fare: One Woman’s Welfare Passage,” a first-hand account of how, through no fault of her own, she once plummeted from a cozy, middle-class lifestyle into one of deep poverty—and painstakingly struggled until she could make a way out.
Amina Jinadu (she/her) is a second-generation, Ghanaian-American based in Illinois. She has been writing publications with her city's local NPR station since college. She has covered events on government, education, the justice system, and more. She recently began writing articles on Medium, where she discusses topics like self-development and emotional intelligence. She is also a published photographer. Her goal is to amplify the voices of people like herself who have been impacted by homelessness and generational poverty.
Deborah Coffy (they/she) is a Black, Gen-Z, Haitian-American writer & researcher born in the Atlanta area, raised in the Pittsburgh area, and currently residing in Orlando, Florida. They are a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where they double majored in Clinical Psychology and Political Science and double minored in Journalism and Human Services. They wrote their honors undergraduate thesis on Black Queer Women and interviewed UCF students during the 2020 election. Deb is passionate about reporting on the education, reproductive, and civil rights crises in Florida.
Tyler Azure (she/her), is an Indigenous woman enrolled in the Chippewa Cree tribe of Rocky Boy, Montana. She is an advocate, writer, caregiver, and ally. She co-founded the IMPACT National Advocacy Alliance for Invincible Mamas Pushing Action & Change Together (IMPACT), a project led by Justice+Joy National Collaborative that amplifies the voices of young mothers. She serves as an administrative manager at a child development center and is fulfilling the crucial role of a mother to her children while also being a kinship caregiver to her younger sisters.
Omar Marquez (he/his) is an educator and documentarian living in Texas. Utilizing mediums such as audio storytelling and cinematic short films, he unveils the universal resonance within seemingly small, personal stories. Omar's focus lies in capturing the authenticity of these narratives, shedding light on the intricate threads of the human experience. In tandem with his artistic pursuits, Omar actively contributes to education, specializing in restorative practices with youth.
Katerina Klawes (she/they) is a queer woman who navigates the world with a disability, living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She founded Survivor Shoulders, a grassroots organization that works to aid survivors like herself in securing stable housing. For over a decade, she’s worked in the education and nonprofit sectors. Kat has a passion for writing and sharing stories that help people understand the inextricable links between trauma, housing, and economic stability.
Alumni Corner
As we prepare to bring on our dynamic new cohort, we want to extend our continued thanks to this year’s fellows who produced over 80 pieces and took on experiments with us from our award-nominated Democracy series to our forays into TikTok. And we truly aren’t ready to let them go, so we’ll be keeping you updated here on their latest works and you can look for them as ChangeWire contributors in the new year.
Honorable Mentions
Did you know you’re reading an award-nominated newsletter? This Substack was honored as a finalist for the 2023 PR Daily Innovation in Media Relations Award.
We’re also thrilled to learn that our fellows curriculum, which trains directly impacted people in journalism and storytelling skills, has been nominated for an Anthem Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in News and Journalism. And our Democracy series earned us a second Anthem Award nomination for Human and Civil Rights in News and Journalism.
Remember our fellow Miguel Rueda’s animated short story about the man who traded in skyrocketing rent prices for van life? His piece was honored as a nominee for the 2023 Latino and Iberian Film Festival at Yale.
Storytelling Contest Open-Call
Is there a grassroots organizing campaign in your area that demonstrates the power that people can hold over corporations? We’re calling all community freelancers, journalists, and other storytellers to submit your story to our ‘Bold Choices, New Narratives’ storytelling contest by March 22, 2024. Get all the details here!
See you next year!
Thank you all for being a part of the ChangeWire community. We like to think of this Substack as a two-way street for open dialogue about stories that have real impact. So if there’s anything you want to see from us in the new year, don’t hesitate to send us a note! And if you love what you see, please share with your friends.