Journalists balance transparency, safety in the wake of ICE escalation

By Alice Finno, Reporting Intern

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased activity in recent months, journalists across newsrooms began having difficult conversations about balancing transparency in coverage with protecting their sources.

In January 2025, El Tímpano, a Bay Area newsroom that reports on Latino and Mayan immigrants, published guidelines to better protect immigrant sources and the communities it covers, focusing on three key areas: ensuring informed consent, limiting identifying details, and increasing in-person engagement. The policies seek to balance the dangers of exposing immigrants’ stories with the benefits journalism provides. 

For instance, Miriam Jordan, an immigration reporter for the New York Times, revealed in 2018 that President Trump employed undocumented workers in his properties, identifying two immigrant women with their full names and photographing them. One of them, Victorina Morales, made numerous media appearances after the story was published, applied for asylum, and received a work permit, but months later, she found out her case had been referred to a court for removal proceedings, as reported by the Columbia Journalism Review. 

During the first Trump administration, immigration reporters told CJR they were more inclined to grant anonymity to undocumented sources and explain the potential consequences of being quoted in a story.

Educating sources

El Tímpano’s guidelines recommend that reporters make greater efforts to explain the risks of participating in stories and how content may be shared, so immigrant sources can make fully informed decisions. This includes telling sources about the risks of speaking with journalists, which could include being identified and contacted by ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security or other law enforcement.

Drawing from material by Define American and PublicSource.org, El Tímpano also tells sources that when reporters reach out for a story, they should clearly state what news outlet they work for, what story they are working on, ask whether the source is willing to speak, answer any questions they might have and clarify at the beginning of the interview if the conversation is on the record, on background, off the record or anonymous. El Tímpano explains to sources where and how the story will appear online.

Sources can decide how much of their name and identifying information is included in the piece. At the same time, El Tímpano has chosen to reduce the amount of identifying information it uses, selecting from details such as first and last name, initials, age, city of residence, job, country of origin, and other information, avoiding the use of more than three identifiers.

If sources ask for additional protection, the outlet says it will honor their request by using only their initials or a pseudonym. It will only ask for last names and citizenship status when this information is essential and store information with robust security measures.

El Tímpano notes that its journalism is rooted in a close connection with the community and prioritizes maintaining trust with the community, ensuring its reporting is neither extractive nor harmful. The outlet’s journalists also avoid including the names of sources’ family members, especially if they have a different legal status, and filming or taking photos at locations that might reveal the source’s home or work location.

The publication also emphasizes more face-to-face reporting and an increased presence in the East Bay, while avoiding publicizing the locations of these interactions to protect participants. Overall, El Tímpano argues that journalism can counter dehumanization and bridge social divides, reminding readers that undocumented people are entitled to respect.

Informed consent, focus on community

The Los Angeles Public Press also published strategies to navigate media interviews during ICE raids last July amid an increase in ICE operations in Los Angeles. The publication tells immigrant sources that sharing their story can amplify their voice and highlight critical issues, but it can also put them at risk.

With the increased press attention on immigrant communities due to immigration enforcement, the outlet highlights that many people are speaking to journalists for the first time without knowing how to protect themselves. It advises individuals to verify reporters’ identities, ask questions about the story, and set boundaries before agreeing to interviews, including deciding how much identifying information they want to share.

Sources can decline questions that feel uncomfortable and be as specific or vague as they like when sharing information, with the understanding that anything they disclose could potentially become public. The LA Public Press guidelines emphasize that sources may end the conversation at any time, as well as decline to have the interview recorded or photos taken, unless they are in a public space or during a protest, in which case people can wear masks, sunglasses, or hats if they want to conceal their identity.

The guide also warns against reporters who use leading questions or push a narrative, highlighting that sources can voice their concerns if they see that happening and assert their own point of view. They can also ask clarifying questions or information about how the article is going to be used to make sure the reporters will handle the story and their community with care.

Journalist safety and self-care

Brenda Verano, a journalist who has been covering social justice and immigration at CALÓ News, said that even her newsroom had conversations about how to keep sources safe when immigration raids and protests started happening in Los Angeles. 

For example, Verano said that the newsroom decided not to publish photos of street vendors during protests or to blur faces to avoid exposing people’s identity in case they didn’t have a legal status. In other instances, she said sources who weren’t used to speaking with the press mentioned during an interview that they were undocumented, so she talked with them about it to make sure they were okay with that information becoming public and discussing what she would include in the article.

“We also made that agreement of if people say that they don’t want to be on record, or if they don’t want to use their full name, that is totally okay, and we will respect that,” Verano said. She would also try to meet people in person and make sure sources felt safe, she said, interviewing them in Spanish and explaining what she was working on.

Verano attended the Maynard Institute’s Propel Regional Training in San Luis Obispo at the end of April and said she was still thinking about some of the sessions, such as A.C. Thompson’s session on investigative journalism and Andrés Cediel’s session on immigration coverage and imperiled civil rights. Verano said Cediel’s session also made her realize it’s okay to consider taking a break from covering immigration. As someone from a mixed-status household, Verano said the topics she has been reporting on feel very personal.

“It takes a lot of mental and emotional strain on you, but I think that’s also what helps you connect with the fewer sources to a greater extent,” she said.

Verano said she has also taken measures to protect herself as a journalist, such as letting people know where she is when covering a protest, making her social media private, and using Signal to communicate with sources and other journalists.

Michelle Zenarosa, former editor-in-chief at LA Public Press, wrote about the impact that covering immigration has had on reporters and how the newsroom had to rethink how to protect its journalists due to the increased risks they faced, from personal threats to rubber bullets and arrests. They quickly realized the need for safety training and started to collaborate with reporters across different newsrooms.

“When local journalists can’t safely document what’s happening in your community, you lose the ability to hold power accountable. And right now, that’s the calculation we’re all making,” wrote Zenarosa.

An attack on Civil Rights

Andrés Cediel, visiting professor at Arizona State University and one of the speakers at the Propel training, said that journalists need to be careful about protecting themselves and sources at the same time. Today, journalists are frequently facing attacks by the government, he added. One of them is Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran journalist who was covering a “No Kings” rally last June when he was arrested and detained by ICE for livestreaming their activity.

Guevara was in the country legally with a path to receiving a green card through his son, who is a U.S.-citizen, but he was still deported to El Salvador.

 “Whenever, as a journalist, you’re doing reporting that involves some level of trauma or vulnerability, it’s really important to be paying attention to how that’s affecting you personally, and sometimes doing reporting that is too close to your own trauma can be especially difficult,” Cediel said in an interview.

Cediel also highlighted the critical role journalists play in documenting what is happening during a period of crisis and how their reporting and the evidence collected could eventually lead to more accountability.

“When this administration is no longer in power, at that time, there will be an opportunity to hold those actors responsible for any potential crimes they committed,” Cediel said. “For that to happen, we need to be documenting those abuses now.”

Cediel said he hopes the Propel training inspired journalists to recommit to the mission of documenting what happens in their communities. “All this work is building towards a higher mission and goal,” he said.

*This article references Maynard Institute programming and interviews Maynard Institute training participants and faculty, including Brenda Verano, who works at CALÓ News. CALÓ News is a central initiative of the Latino Media Collaborative, a Propel Partner of the Maynard Institute.

What My Fault Lines® Taught Me

A Maynard Institute training helped me understand my perspective — and the responsibility that comes with it.

By Jeremy Garza, Managing Editor, Mustang Media Group, with photos by Jennifer Shaevitz, SLO Media Creations

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. –

“The phone rang. It was my mom telling me my brother died.”

That’s how Joe Lambert, founder of StoryCenter, said he would start a story about his brother. By jumping right into it, I was immediately itching to hear his next word. I felt tears welling in my eyes, imagining my own mother calling me to tell me about a tragic loss.

I went up to him after his presentation at the Maynard Institute’s Propel Regional Training in San Luis Obispo, held April 24-25. I wanted to thank him for changing the way I see storytelling and sharing personal stories — to which he just said, “Of course, and a little emotional manipulation never hurts.”

As an involved journalism student, I’ve found myself at a lot of conferences. I’ve sat through professionals talking about their glory days and college students rehearsing for their glory days more times than I can count. After Lambert’s kickoff session, I knew Maynard was going to push me to think differently about storytelling — including how I will tackle stories after I graduate from my college sandbox.

Over the course of two days, I heard frank presentations about immigration reporting and investigative work. In partnership with Cal Poly Journalism, Maynard took a page out of Cal Poly’s playbook and had participants “Learn by Doing.” Peers workshopped current stories and tackled personal biases. 

Co‑executive director of the Maynard Institute Martin G. Reynolds, while teaching about the
Fault Lines® framework, tasked us to write down six people we trusted, beyond relatives. Then, based on the six fault lines — race, gender, generation, class, sexual orientation and geography — we placed check marks next to each person if we shared the same identity. 

Most of my names, ranging from childhood friends to current roommates, had three to four check marks. A subconscious truth came forward: I often surround myself with people who are eerily similar to me. This can’t be the case in a newsroom, and I hope that I am able to foster belonging in more spaces that I join. 

All of my trusted individuals lacked the check mark that represents sexual orientation. Not many people in my life are queer, and even fewer are gay men. I often find myself in gray areas — too gay for masculine spaces, but still too “man” for female spaces. I’m often perceived as white, but my last name and my grandfather’s immigration from Mexico shape experiences that don’t always align with that perception.

Fault Lines® taught me how to analyze spaces. Not only for myself, but for my peers and for sources. Where do more people need to be heard? When does my privilege need to stand up for others? And when does it need to sit and listen? This perspective will now shape my coverage as I search for a place in the industry.

Our Cal Poly Journalism Department chair, Professor Brady Teufel, moderated a panel of community-oriented newsrooms, including representatives from ethnic media organizations, such as Latino Media Collaborative and India Currents. These small, but mighty organizations are cracking open fault lines and making room for those who do not see themselves in traditional coverage.

This conversation was taking place in a town that looks different than many in California and hosted by a state university unlike any other — predominantly white. This training was an important reminder in 2026, very eloquently stated by Reynolds.

“Belonging in newsrooms is the essential outcome of deliberately confronting bias,” Reynolds said. “When we name and dismantle the identity‑based biases that shape our coverage and culture, we create spaces where journalists of all backgrounds can bring their full selves to their work.”

During the campus tour, I showed a group of attendees around KCPR 91.3 FM, Cal Poly’s student-run radio station. The station’s motto is “Where Different Matters.” The station is developing into a space for belonging, internally and externally, from the “boys club” it once was in the ’70s. 

I was proud to show my station off to attendees and speak of how we are able to serve our audiences. I was especially proud, and a little nervous, to show Ernesto Aguilar. As executive director of radio programming and content innovation initiatives at KQED Public Media, Aguilar taught us not only technique and style tips, but also encouraged us to have hope for the future.

Aguilar, kind with his words, told me to keep pushing, and my path will work out. This represents the best part about Maynard. The connections I formed with innovators and daily grinders inspire me as I’m leaving my college bubble. The Maynard Institute showed me that the journalism industry is alive and well, just as I needed the reminder that I belong in this space.

“Harnessing the power of journalists’ diverse lived experiences is the cornerstone of genuine belonging, and our humanity,” said Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, director of the Maynard Regional Training Program.

About Jeremy Garza

Jeremy Garza is a journalism and political science student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, where he serves as managing editor of Mustang Media Group and was previously a CalMatters fellow. His work has been republished by the Associated Press and earned two California College Media Association first-place awards. 

About Mustang Media Group

Mustang Media Group (MMG) is an award-winning, multi-platform news organization based at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Covering digital, print, radio and social media, the student-run organization works to tell campus and community stories accurately and equitably.

Black Beyond Borders: How Black Journalists Built the Room Perugia Needed

At the International Journalism Festival, Black journalists and allies created a space rooted in Black diasporic experience — and opened a wider conversation about belonging, solidarity and journalism’s global blind spots.

By Martin G. Reynolds

PERUGIA, Italy — Journalism gatherings often claim to wrestle with the future of the field. But too often, the people most practiced at seeing power clearly — Black journalists, Black media leaders and other journalists of color — remain peripheral to the rooms where that future is being imagined.

That tension was at the heart of Black Beyond Borders: A Global Town Hall on Journalism, Identity, and Resistance, convened by URL Media and the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education during the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy April 15-18.

At a moment when Black journalists, Black media and Black communities are facing intensifying attacks on multiple fronts, Black Beyond Borders created something both urgent and restorative: a space for candor, connection and collective imagination across the African diaspora.

The town hall brought together journalists, media leaders, scholars and others from across countries and cultures to ask a set of questions that felt both immediate and enduring: What does it mean to be a Black journalist in this moment? How are race, identity, belonging and truth being challenged or weaponized globally? And what becomes possible when we build stronger relationships, sharper analysis and deeper solidarity across borders?

The gathering was rooted in Black diasporic experience, but it was not insular. The room included colleagues from across journalism and philanthropy, as well as people who did not identify as part of the Black diaspora. The design was intentional: center Black journalists and Black experience, while welcoming a broader mix of voices committed to understanding, connection and the possibility of something more for all of us.

Why the room was needed

The roots of the idea trace back to last year’s festival, when Sara Lomax of WURD Radio and URL Media, film festival curator Karen McMullen, and I joined a panel titled “Am I Black Enough For You,” moderated by Coda Story founder Natalya Antelava. The conversation raised important questions about Black American identity and experience, but it also prompted audience concerns about framing, power and racial dynamics. As Lomax later put it, the critique was blunt — and fair.

In the months that followed, conversations continued with Press Forward Canada Executive Director Vicky Mochama, URL Media and others about how to create a more intentional space at this year’s festival. A larger gathering for Black women journalism leaders required more time and funding, and a proposed follow-up panel was not selected. Meanwhile, conversations in the Black Perugia Dinner WhatsApp Group made clear that other pitches from Black journalists had also been declined.

Taken together, those absences raised a larger question: How can journalism conferences, convenings and festivals claim to wrestle with the future of journalism while still too often treating Black expertise and experience as peripheral?

What began as a smaller idea evolved into a broader side event, developed with Mochama, URL Media and the Maynard Institute, centering Black voices from across the diaspora.

Held at Il Birraio in Perugia, Black Beyond Borders was intentionally designed not as a traditional panel, but as a town hall. Though unable to attend, Lomax offered a reflection I read at the start of the event, grounding the gathering in urgency and shared purpose.

A town hall, not a panel

The setting mattered.

Perugia, with its tight streets and sweeping views of Umbria’s rolling green hills, surrounds your senses with history. Nestled between Rome and Florence in the landlocked but lushly adorned landscape of Central Italy, the city is Umbria’s capital. It is a vivacious hill town of universities and artists, home to the Eurochocolate Festival, with stunning architecture and centuries-old travertine limestone underfoot. Its uneven cobblestones require an easeful pace — the kind reflected in a mother and daughter strolling arm in arm down Corso Vannucci, the wide pedestrian street at the heart of the city.

The evening opened with a scene-setting exchange featuring Garry Pierre-Pierre, director of partnerships at URL Media and founder of The Haitian Times; Seada Nourhussen, editor-in-chief of OneWorld Magazine in Amsterdam; and Mochama of Press Forward Canada — each bringing perspectives shaped by distinct national and professional realities.

From there, the conversation opened to the room.

Attendees sipped wine and compared notes across regions. They reflected on how anti-Blackness and exclusion take shape in different media systems and explored what stronger alliances might look like editorially, relationally and economically.

Many spoke from the experience of being the only person of color in their newsroom or institution, navigating both hypervisibility and isolation. Nourhussen, for example, spoke from the experience of being the only top Black editor in the Netherlands. Her presence underscored both the power of representation and the isolation that can come with being the only one.

The openness of the town hall, the range of voices in the room, and the willingness to move between personal experience and structural critique created something more expansive: a space not only for conversation, but for recognition, alignment and possibility.

What Black struggle makes visible

It also became clear that frustrations about exclusion from the festival were not limited to Black journalists. Others shared similar experiences of rejected pitches, reinforcing the need for spaces where those who are structurally sidelined can come together honestly, without flattening their realities.

One attendee, a journalist from outside the United States, put it plainly: he and others in his circle had also been frustrated by pitches and perspectives that had not found a place in the formal festival program. But, he said, it was the Black journalists from the United States who decided to do something about it.

I found that observation deeply affirming, especially in a moment when Black people and other communities of color in the U.S. are facing renewed attacks through policy, politics and public rhetoric. To hear global colleagues say that the Black struggle in the United States continues to inspire marginalized people fighting for visibility in their own countries was both humbling and energizing.

It reminded me that the struggle our ancestors carried — and the one we continue to carry — has never stopped at national borders. The fight to be seen, heard and fully recognized matters not only for us, but for others searching for language, courage and strategy in their own struggles for visibility.

What emerged was not a single narrative, but a layered exchange about shared struggle, difference and possibility — and a living example of the Maynard Institute’s commitment to reaching across Fault Lines® of race, class, gender, generation, geography and other elements of identity. That commitment traces back to Robert C. Maynard, one of the Institute’s nine founders, who believed journalism could connect people across difference.

Toward a global Black media network

The idea of connection across difference was not abstract. It was voiced directly by the people in the room.

“Black people are too sparse in media, which means our experiences often have to be tied to a diasporic understanding to carry weight,” Nourhussen said. “At the same time, Black American media professionals can deepen their understanding of global Blackness by working with European, African and Latin American colleagues. That’s where BBB can become a global Black media network.”

Mochama connected the moment to a longer history.

“Mary Ann Shadd Cary, the first woman editor of a newspaper in North America, was a Black American who founded her paper in Canada,” she said. “Our experiences are connected, even if our realities vary. The scale of our ambitions is matched only by the depth of our challenges, but we can take them on together.”

Pierre-Pierre offered this perspective after the event about the energy in the room.

“It sparked a much-needed conversation for journalists who often find themselves as the only person of color in their spaces, navigating isolation,” he said. “We easily could have continued for another hour.”

Among those in the room was Jaldeep Katwala, director of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom.

“The power of this gathering was that it happened both despite and because of the International Journalism Festival,” Katwala said. “It was a conversation that deserved a larger stage. I found my people at this event.”

That sense of finding one another — across geography, identity and experience — lingered with me. While Black Beyond Borders was shaped in part by what didn’t happen, it ultimately became something that likely could not have taken shape within the confines of the festival’s regular format.

Even the music spoke to that sense of connection. Curated by Nadia Campbell-Mitchell, Maynard’s development director, sounds of the Black diaspora floated through the venue, past distressed-style chairs and a spiral staircase that led to a lower level where other groups were holding conversations of their own.

Our gathering became an opportunity to build something more connected and more responsive to the realities people were carrying with them into the room — across countries, across systems and across different experiences of exclusion and belonging.

Belonging beyond borders

This was one of the most uplifting experiences of my professional life. What happened that night felt like the continuation of something that began modestly — a dinner last year, then a WhatsApp group — and is now evolving into something more intentional and ambitious.

As people joined the Black Beyond Borders community that night, it began to take shape as a growing network rooted in Black experience and sustained by solidarity.

Nourhussen mentioned that after coming to the festival numerous times, she would often see clusters of attendees of color gathered together, frustrated by what she described as a lack of inclusion and a sense that who they were was not fully seen or represented.

Not this time, Nourhussen said. When she passed people on the street who had attended our town hall, she was greeted with smiles and thank-yous for a space to connect, to tell their own stories and to be seen.

That is belonging beyond borders.

We are now exploring what it might look like to take Black Beyond Borders to other countries and communities, not as a one-time gathering, but as an evolving network of journalists in conversation across borders. So if this speaks to you, reach out. Let’s have a conversation.

Because what Perugia made clear is that when we gather with intention, we don’t just respond to the moment; we expand what becomes possible. We show what happens when Black people hold space for ourselves and, in doing so, open space for us all.

About the Author:

Martin G. Reynolds is co-executive director of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. A former editor-in-chief of The Oakland Tribune, he co-founded Oakland Voices and was among the editorial leaders of the Chauncey Bailey Project. He is also a professional lyricist whose work includes a live album recorded in Havana, Cuba, with Mingus Amungus.

About the Institute:

The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education works to advance diversity, equity, and belonging in news media through training, leadership development, and innovative programs that support journalists of color and strengthen inclusive storytelling across the industry.

Jasmine Barnes

Jasmine Barnes (she/her) is a community builder, writer and program manager based on Potawatomi land on the South Side of Chicago. For many years, Jasmine served as the Community Engagement Director of an education non-profit, helping adults nationwide develop their relationship-building and collaborative communication skills. She applied similar strategies to the organization’s internal culture, co-leading its inaugural strategic DEI initiatives and developing foundational workplace culture practices. Jasmine has also worked as a consultant providing workplace culture training, facilitation, and program development services to values-driven organizations. 

With a degree in sociology and journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, Jasmine brings a human-centered approach to her work, helping organizations and individuals better understand themselves and others. She specializes in creating and facilitating trainings and programs grounded in a trauma-informed, healing-centered framework. Her greatest joy is creating supportive and inclusive environments that encourage people to take risks and grow.

Jasmine expands upon this relational work by amplifying and archiving everyday stories as a freelance journalist contributing to South Side Weekly, City Bureau, the Chicago Reader and other publications. 

Remembering Diana R. Fuentes

After passing away suddenly in Washington, D.C. on March 20, Diana R. Fuentes is being remembered across the nation as an indomitable journalist, a dedicated editor and educator, a steadfast mentor and a fierce advocate for journalists and journalism.

Executive Director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Fuentes began her more than 35-year-long career in journalism in her hometown of Laredo, Texas, where she served as editor of the Laredo Morning Times.

“Whether she was representing IRE at events across the country or engaging with our international and student members, her dedication to our mission was clear. She worked tirelessly to make investigative training accessible and was also a passionate defender of press freedom and journalist safety,” IRE Board President Josh Hinkle said in a statement released March 20.

“In light of the challenges we face today, she reminded us that ‘we have a constitutionally protected right — and deep responsibility — to keep the people informed, and we will not stop.’ Those words from Diana — shared in a recent statement of support for journalists arrested for their protest coverage — resonate now more than ever.”

Many in the journalism community and her home state of Texas expressed shock at her unexpected passing, as well as the deep loss of a friend and teacher so integral to the journalism community.

“We are saddened to share the passing of a giant in our industry. One of our leaders, mentors and dear friends, Diana ‘DeeDee’ Fuentes has passed away. It is a shock to many of us and we are processing it just as you are,” San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists stated in a Facebook post.

IRE will be closed Friday, March 27 as the staff takes time off to attend her funeral.

“Texas journalism — and the national investigative journalism community — has lost a giant. Whether she was fighting for open records, coaching a young reporter, or leading a national journalism organization dedicated to accountability, she did so with a rare combination of tenacity, grace, and unwavering integrity. She taught us that the story matters, but the people behind the stories matter more,” Texas Managing Editors posted to Facebook.

Oakland Voices director and Maynard alum Rasheed Shabazz expressed gratitude to Fuentes as well as sorrow at her passing in an emailed statement.

“I finally met Diana Fuentes in real life last year at the NABJ Conference during an investigative journalism panel. It was an honor to share a stage with her. I am grateful for all the work she did to support young and emerging investigative journalists and I wish I had more time to learn from her. Thank you, Diana,” Shabazz said.

IRE has posthumously nominated Fuentes to be inducted into its Ring of Honor at this year’s IRE Conference, taking place June 18-21. The Ring of Honor is a “new initiative celebrating members who have made a significant contribution to the organization and to investigative journalism.” Those who wish to do so can donate to the campaign in Fuentes’ honor.

Doris Truong, Deputy Director of the Maynard Institute’s Fire Up Training Program

Doris Truong is deputy director of the Maynard Institute’s Fire Up training program for journalism entrepreneurs. She is an inclusion expert and facilitator who led teaching and diversity strategies for the Poynter Institute.

She has two decades of daily news experience from The Washington Post and The Dallas Morning News. She served as national president of the Asian American Journalists Association, vice president of UNITY: Journalists for Diversity and a board member on the Fund for Investigative Journalism.

She was a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan, researching ways journalists can mitigate their own unconscious bias. And she is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. Find her on most social platforms @doristruong.

Award honors the Maynard Institute’s impact

The Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications announced March 12 plans to recognize the Maynard Institute with the Lorraine Branham Award during Newhouse School’s Mirror Awards ceremony in May.

Established in 2021, the award honors late Newhouse Dean Emerita Lorraine Branham, and recognizes a media organization that has worked to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in the news.

Previous Branham Award recipients include ICT, the 19th News, MLK50 and Amplifier.

Lorraine Branham’s legacy, and ours

“Lorraine Branham was a 1977 graduate of the Summer Program for Minority Journalists, an early training initiative founded by a diverse group of journalists, including the late Robert C. Maynard,” said Evelyn Hsu, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute. “That program stood at the forefront of efforts to desegregate America’s newsrooms. We are deeply honored to receive an award bearing Lorraine’s name, and it will inspire our continued work.”

“Lorraine Branham’s legacy reminds us that expanding opportunity in journalism has always required intention—and courage,” said Martin G. Reynolds, Maynard Institute co-executive director. 

“At a time when some are questioning the value of that work, this recognition affirms that inclusive, representative journalism is foundational to a just, equitable, and informed society.

It also honors the most meaningful outcome of our mission—the journalists of color and those of diverse backgrounds at the center of our programs, alongside others we support to stay and thrive in this field. History will look back on this moment and remember who stood firm in their values—and we will be among them.”

“The Maynard Institute doesn’t just identify the problem—they develop the solutions,” the selection committee said. “Their commitment to building a more inclusive and representative media landscape has transformed journalism and set the standard for how organizations can champion equity and authentic storytelling.” 

About the Mirror Awards

Established by the Newhouse School in 2006, the Mirror Awards are the preeminent competition in the field of media industry reporting. Prizes are awarded in four juried categories, recognizing the reporters, editors and writers who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit.

Dateline NBC host and NBC News journalist Lester Holt will receive The Fred Dressler Leadership Award at the 2026 Mirror Awards ceremony May 19 in New York City.

The Dressler Award is named after the late Fred Dressler, an influential figure in the cable broadcasting industry. The award honors individuals or organizations that have made distinct and consistent contributions to the public’s understanding of the media.

The arrests of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon for reporting on a protest set a dangerous precedent for press freedom. Bearing witness is not a crime. Reporting at moments of civic tension — especially where government power and community response intersect — is core to journalism’s role in a democracy, and the First Amendment exists to protect precisely this work.

Through our Fault Lines® framework, we know the risk is not evenly shared. Journalists working at the intersections of race, immigration, power, and community — often independent or community-based reporters — are the first to feel the chilling effect when newsgathering is criminalized.

If they are pushed out, the voices and communities journalism has worked to include are pushed out too. We stand with the National Association of Black Journalists and the wider journalism community in condemning these arrests and calling for the protection of journalists’ constitutionally protected rights.

The third round of the Maynard Regional Training Series – hosted by the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU)  in Fort Worth – brought a powerful close to the inaugural program, after dynamic convenings of media professionals in Detroit and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

At each training site, Maynard faculty sought to give frontline editors and mid-level managers tools they could immediately use to manage teams and coverage in a rapidly evolving landscape that’s shaped by industry upheaval and accelerating AI evolution.

The bespoke curriculum provided eight sessions and coaching from a distinguished faculty of news executives and academics, covering topics such as: 

• The Manager’s Mindset, an introduction to the role of a news leader. 
• Leaning Into Your Fault Lines® 
• Ethical Editorial Decision-Making
• Finding the Heart of the Story
• Managing Up, Down and Across Generations
• AI Best Practices and Ethics

Participating in the two-day workshop were two TCU students and 18 full-time journalists who work in a variety of editing roles representing the Fort Worth Report, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, La Prensa de Houston, The Associated Press, Bloomberg Industry Group, The Oklahoman Media Company, Gannett and USA Today Network, TCU-Schieffer College and TCU 360 Media.

“I’m really thankful to have participated in this year’s Maynard Regional Training in Texas,” wrote Maya Earls, deputy team lead/environment and energy at Bloomberg Law
(Bloomberg Industry Group), in a LinkedIn post. “This program included great sessions on how to be a better manager and editor, and provided space to ask the big questions about AI and how we as journalists evolve for the moment.” 

Maynard Regional Training and Communities of Practice Director Odette Alcazaren-Keeley opened the training, saluting the long-standing relationship with TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication’s Dean Kristie Bunton, Ph.D; Jean Marie Brown, associate professor of professional practice and student media director; and John Tisdale, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the journalism department.

“As a college named for an award-winning, longtime journalist, our TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication is happy to provide a regional home for the Maynard Regional Training Series,” Dean Bunton said. “Our democracy needs well-trained journalists to lead newsrooms effectively and ethically in reporting news that is vital to citizens.”

Alcazaren-Keeley welcomed the participants, citing their impactful work and acknowledging their organizations’ investment in their career growth.

“We were invigorated by the latest outstanding journalists in the Maynard Regional Training – members of the next generation of news leaders who reflected the diversity of the Texas media ecosystem and beyond.They expressed appreciation for the skills they gained, coaching and conversations they engaged in, and affirmed they are applying these toolkits to their work,” said Alcazaren-Keeley.

Felecia D. Henderson, Maynard senior director of strategic initiatives, echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the impact across all three training programs.

“At each regional training, we saw mid-level editors and managers embrace new strategies for leadership, learn to conduct tough conversations, and explore how AI is reshaping journalism,” Henderson said. “These sessions weren’t just about skills; they were about building confidence and community. It was inspiring to see participants leave ready to lead with clarity and purpose.”

Leaning Into Your Fault Lines®: Managing News Coverage and Managing Time While Building Genuine Relationships
Jean Marie Brown, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication

Professor Jean Marie Brown kicked off the training with  “Leaning Into Your Fault Lines®,” focused on Maynard’s signature Fault Lines® framework, which helps editors understand how their biases – unconscious and conscious – inform the ways they manage news coverage. She also facilitated the workshop “Managing Time while Building Genuine Relationships.”

One participant wrote when surveyed: “I appreciated the candid discussion about Fault Lines. It made me step back and consider all the different fault lines that exist in my life and how those show up daily as a manager.”

The Manager’s Mindset: Stepping into your Leadership Role
Martin G. Reynolds, Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director

Maynard Co-Executive Director Martin G. Reynolds led the session “The Manager’s Mindset”, focused on what editors and managers need to consider when stepping into leadership roles.

“It’s exciting to provide management training to editors — many of whom have had limited access to the kind of sustained support that helps them grow as leaders,” said Martin G. Reynolds, Maynard Institute co-executive director, who leads the Manager’s Mindset session for each Regional Training cohort. “Managing is about helping others thrive and fueling the success of the whole organization. In a moment of transformation and uncertainty for journalism, the quality of managers often determines whether innovation thrives or fades — and whether morale improves or erodes. Our program helps editors build the awareness, tools, and community they need to lead with care and confidence.”

Ethical Editorial Decision-Making and Coach for Story and Building Trust.
Maria Carrillo, Consultant and Coach

Coach and consultant Maria Carrillo led two workshops: Ethical Editorial Decision Making and Coaching for Story and Building Trust.

In “Ethical Editorial Decision-Making,” Carrillo led discussions with trainees highlighting real-world news coverage ethical dilemmas. She said this session showed that our moral code can help us to make decisions when we are faced with tough calls, which happens often in any newsroom.

“My hope is that the editors in these classes walk away feeling empowered to make tough decisions and to execute more powerful stories,” Carillo said.

Carrillo also facilitated the workshop “Coaching for Story & Building Trust” where she shared lessons about developing relationships and trust with reporters as well as best practices for vetting ideas and executing stronger stories.

Finding the Heart of the Story and Tactical Frameworks for Editors
Tom Huang, Assistant Managing Editor, The Dallas Morning News and Adjunct Faculty, The Poynter Institute

Tom Huang centered this workshop on story focus, introducing five questions that will help editors and reporters focus their stories and identify underlying themes. He used the movie Titanic to illustrate how stories can have a central theme and secondary themes. An interactive exercise helped participants understand how stories can often have strong emotions lying beneath the surface.

“I hope the editors in the class took away the idea that they can and should coach their reporters and discuss what their stories are truly about. Most stories should just be told simply and in a straightforward way. But some stories deserve a little more time in exploring themes and meaning. That’s the fun part of storytelling,” Huang said.

AI: Best Practices and Ethics
Marisa Porto, Knight Chair in Local News and Sustainability, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In the workshop “AI: Best Practices and Ethics,” Professor Marisa Porto explored how AI is transforming newsrooms, focusing on ethics and innovation. Participants discussed real-world examples and practical ways to use AI that is grounded in journalistic values.  

“I hope participants left ready to use AI in their news organizations with purpose and transparency, guided by a commitment to public trust,” Porto said.

Managing Up, Down and Across Generations
P. Kim Bui, Consultant and Founder, Quen Media

This workshop led by audience engagement consultant and newsroom management expert P. Kim Bui was centered on her observation that newsrooms are now multi-generational and each generation has its own working style. In this interactive workshop, she examined how today’s managers and leaders cross generational differences to lead more empathetic and valuable newsrooms. 

“It is always such a joy to work with others in the Maynard family to create better workplaces for us all in turbulent times,” Bui said. “Attendees always approach tough problems with deep solutions as well as humor and hope.” 

Regional Roundtable: Panel of Texas News Leaders
Moderator: Dorothy Bland, Ph.D.
Professor, University of North Texas Mayborn School of Journalism. Board Member, Maynard Institute. Author.

Panelists: 

• Cheryl Smith: Publisher and Editor, I Messenger Media
• Evelyn Castro: Publisher, La Prensa de Houston
• Rebekah Allen: Managing Editor, The Texas Tribune
• Steve Coffman: President and Editor, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Tom Huang: Assistant Managing Editor, the Dallas Morning News and Adjunct Faculty, The Poynter Institute

The regional roundtable of news leaders highlighted the state of Texas media and each editors’ perspectives on building a culture of courage and integrity in newsrooms in defense of democracy. Executives of legacy, nonprofit, ethnic and local media discussed challenges that news organizations are facing, including in covering federal and state policies impacting their audiences.

They shared innovations and approaches that are crucial in this era of political division. The panel was moderated by professor, author and Maynard board member Dr. Dorothy Bland.

Panelist Evelyn Castro of La Prensa de Houston, who also participated in the training, shared with her LinkedIn network that “The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education continues to set the standard for leadership, collaboration, and integrity in journalism. [I am] grateful for the opportunity to learn, share, and connect with so many passionate newsroom leaders committed to truth and community.”

Participants in the regional training programs are automatically eligible to access the benefits of the peer-to-peer learning and coaching hub, the Maynard Communities of Practice.

Program director Alcazaren-Keeley said the insights shared by trainees during session conversations and office hours consultations drive the impact of each training.
They value the space to be seen, heard and supported, and give that support to each other.

She sees the training programs embodying hope as the industry forges forward.

“The program is vital in helping journalists unlock their full leadership potential, to navigate this inflection point in our history and the tide of AI disruption. Our newest journalism cohort carries the professional advancement and movement-building legacy of the Maynard Institute. Together we bring our collective mission of integrity and courage to the future,” Alcazaren-Keeley said.

About the Maynard Institute

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs which give media professionals the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

For more information about the Regional Training Series, please reach out to Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Maynard Regional Training Series Director at okeeley@mije.org.

About the Maynard Regional Training Series

The Maynard Regional Training Series is a new training program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of frontline managers and editors in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations.

Maynard Institute programs are open to all. We are committed to addressing the under-representation of people of color and other historically disadvantaged groups in media-related professions.

This professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds. The Maynard Institute’s new training programs are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and The Hearthland Foundation.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard Regional Training Series, please reach out to:

Director of Maynard Regional Training and Communities of Practice, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

Remembering our dear friend and colleague, Michael Days.

We are heartbroken at the loss of our friend, Michael Days.

Michael’s connection to the Maynard Institute spans decades. He was an exceptional teacher, a generous mentor to up-and-coming professionals, and a wise strategic adviser to the institute’s leaders.
His positive approach uplifted all of us during stressful times. It was a gift to be in his presence.

Michael mentored so many. He was officially matched with Martin as a mentor by Evelyn at the conclusion of the 2005 Maynard Media Academy at Northwestern University. They stayed connected ever since and spoke just last month.

This loss hits so close to home for both of us. We are deeply saddened and send our condolences to Michael’s family and to all who knew and loved him.

-Evelyn Hsu and Martin G. Reynolds