Meet the Fire Up Fellows

The Fire Up Entrepreneur Program, as part of the Propel Initiative, is training eight news organizations in revenue, audience, product and community with a focus on ensuring sustainability. Participants will work with experts in business, audience strategy and other topics.

The inaugural cohort of Fire Up Fellows represent the power and potential of diverse news in the State of California. Covering various beats, ethnic communities, geographical areas and language groups, the Fellows are using the program as an opportunity to expand their reach, create lasting sustainability and deepen their coverage to better serve their audiences.

Katherine Ann Rowlands, Executive Director and Founder, Bay City News Foundation

Rowlands is a longtime champion of local journalism. Bay City News, a regional news service she bought in 2018, has expanded to cover 13 counties, supplying trustworthy, original journalism for the media ecosystem, from TV and radio to newspapers to start-up digital outlets in the greater Bay Area. Its nonprofit affiliate, which publishes free content at LocalNewsMatters.org, has trained 60 paid interns, adopted transformative technology and published thousands of stories that would otherwise not be told.

Through Fire Up, Rowlands will develop Bay City News Labs to examine how to track bot traffic at the Cloudflare or WordPress plugin level to quantify and audit how intellectual property is being utilized by AI companies. What Bay City News learns could lead to revenue, block exploitation or monetize assets with the right partners. The takeaways will be shared publicly with the news ecosystem.

Lauren Mapp, Co-Founder/Journalist, Daylight San Diego

Mapp (she/her/akaónha) is a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk). She is a Daylight San Diego co-founder and journalist who has covered Indigenous communities, caregiving, senior care, social justice, art, music, travel, food and culinary traditions since 2005. Prior to Daylight, she worked for The San Diego Union-Tribune, inewsource, Times of San Diego, North Coast Current, Indian Time and The People’s Voice. She was the outstanding graduate for the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University in 2019.

Daylight San Diego’s audience increasingly relies on social media and alternative formats for news. Through Fire Up, Daylight San Diego seeks to revamp its newsletter ecosystem to increase engagement, grow sponsorship revenue and strengthen sustainability. By January 2027, Daylight aims to reduce video skip rates, achieve consistent engagement and generate 10 percent of organizational revenue through newsletter-related sponsorships and ads.

Priya Lava, Operations, India Currents

Lava has developed expertise in digital publishing, audience growth and revenue strategy through programs with Google News Initiative, LION Publishers and Newspack. She completed three years of training with Dan Oshinsky on newsletter growth and engagement. At India Currents, she manages communications and operations related to advertising sales and plays an active role in website development and digital transformation initiatives.

India Currents will launch Rooted in Care, a podcast connecting South Asian immigrants to trusted resources on aging, women’s health, mental health and civic engagement. Featuring experts, community leaders and service providers. The podcast will offer practical, culturally relevant guidance while leveraging partnerships with agencies and nonprofits to expand community reach.

Héctor Félix Jr., Publisher, El Informador

From a young age, Félix immersed himself in all aspects of the family business, El Informador del Valle. As a teenager, he gained hands-on experience in newspaper sales, reporting, photography, videography, graphic design and weekly distribution. His early involvement laid the foundation for his leadership and continued commitment to community journalism.

El Informador will do research within the community and with potential sponsors to determine the best ways to heighten ad visibility. These experiments will provide a way for El Informador del Valle to continue to uplift important stories without succumbing to outdated business models.

Carlos Hernandez, Editor, El Latino Central Coast

Hernandez is an award-winning journalist, editor and publisher with extensive experience in Spanish-language and bilingual media on the East and West coasts. He is the editor and publisher of El Latino Central Coast Newspaper, a trusted bilingual outlet serving Latino and immigrant communities across Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Hernandez is committed to strengthening bilingual journalism and expanding El Latino’s role as a bridge between the local society and the Latino community.

El Latino’s “Digital Forward” project pushes its editors beyond reliance on print ads. With new revenue opportunities, the outlet continue to serve Central Coast bilingual communities for free. We’ll expand service journalism for immigrants, especially around health, immigration, education and civic information while building long-term sponsorship and digital engagement strategies.

Rob Waters, Editor, MindSite News

As MindSite News launches its Bay Area bureau, Waters returns to his roots in Bay Area community journalism. In the 1980s, he was editor of the Tenderloin Times, which reported extensively on mental health. His journey since has largely focused on covering health and mental health through a social justice lens.

The Bay Area has no dedicated mental health news outlet, and MindSite can fill this gap while boosting its sustainability by opening new revenue streams. To ensure the coverage reaches communities most in need, MindSite will tap into established relationships with community-based service and advocacy organizations.

Faisal Karimi, Founder/Director, Nowruz Media

Karimi is a senior journalist, journalism educator and media entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience. He is the founder and director of Nowruz Media, a multilingual California-based community newsroom serving Afghan immigrants, and he founded the Afghanistan Institute for Research and Media Studies. He is an alumnus of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University and currently teaches journalism at Sacramento State University.

Nowruz Media will develop the Nowruz Community Hub, a multilingual resource desk for Afghan immigrants in California. Through Farsi/Dari, Pashto and English explainers, guides, WhatsApp, newsletters and community listening, Nowruz provide trusted information to drive civic engagement and increase public safety while building a stronger audience and revenue model.

James Luckey Jr., Publisher, Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California

Luckey is the editor of Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, a Black press institution founded in 1977 that serves Bakersfield, Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley. Born and raised in Bakersfield, Luckey grew up inside the newsroom under the founding family’s mentorship before stepping into leadership. A Kern County Black Chamber of Commerce honoree, he is modernizing the organization’s digital presence while preserving its century-long commitment to Black community journalism.

Black community stories are buried by algorithms and missed by legacy outlets, so Observer Group Newspapers is launching News Observed, a mobile platform to let Black Southern Californians submit reports on their own neighborhoods. Observer Group will create a pipeline with editorial oversight and plan to publish at least 50 community-contributed stories before January 2027.

The Maynard Institute announces inaugural Fire Up Entrepreneurship cohort

The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is proud to announce the inaugural cohort for the Fire Up Entrepreneurship Program, which starts this month in Oakland. 

The cohort consists of eight California-serving newsrooms. Each will receive seven months of training in revenue, audience, product and community plus mentorship on their proposed project and a $20,000 grant. Project ideas range from surfacing untold Black stories to ensuring free bilingual news in the Central Coast to mitigating AI threats to audience traffic.

Fire Up is part of the Propel Initiative to strengthen California’s multi-lingual media ecosystem, ensuring long-term sustainability of local public service journalism for underserved localities. 

The eight cohort news organizations are Bay City News Foundation, Daylight San Diego, India Currents, El Informador del Valle, El Latino Central Coast, MindSite News, Nowruz Media and Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California. 

The first cohort will convene July 29 in Oakland, California for the program’s orientation and kickoff.

Meet the first Fire Up cohort

Bay City News Foundation is working to mitigate the threat of AI technology undercutting audience traffic. 

Daylight San Diego will build on its local journalism startup presence and grow audience through alternative news formats.

India Currents is expanding its reach as a vital civic connector through a podcast for South Asian immigrants to be shared by strategic partners. 

El Informador del Valle will experiment with different ways to attract advertisers in a community that relies on print, using the Fire Up program to identify successful and sustainable approaches. 

El Latino Central Coast will reinforce the importance of free bilingual news as a bridge to Central Coast immigrants while growing its digital presence.

MindSite News seeks to broaden Bay Area reporting into the under-covered topic of navigating mental health disparities.

Nowruz Media will create a multilingual resource hub for Afghan immigrants in California, the U.S. state with the largest Afghan diaspora population. 

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California plans to surface untold Black stories through a community platform to reach and expand Black audiences. 

For detailed information about the proposed projects as well as the Fire Up Fellows, click here.

Where are Fire Up newsrooms?

Fire Up is made possible by a budget allocation from the State of California and is part of the Propel Initiative to support local news, with the goal of safeguarding democracy and encouraging civic engagement by giving all citizens access to quality journalism. The journalism organizations in this cohort serve audiences statewide, including 26 bipartisan Assembly districts and 12 bipartisan Senate districts. 

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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.

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