The Association of Health Care Journalists is thrilled to announce the inaugural class of fellows selected for the 2025 AHCJ Firearm Violence Reporting Fellowship.
This program, supported by The Joyce Foundation, creates a cohort of journalists producing in-depth, data-informed stories that illuminate the public health crisis of firearm violence. From prevention strategies to community trauma, fellows will explore the far-reaching impacts of gun violence through a health equity lens while producing stories or a series of stories for their news outlets.
Over the course of the fellowship, fellows will receive training, mentorship and financial support as they deepen their reporting and work to bring greater clarity and accountability to this urgent issue.
2025 fellows and their projects:
- Natalie Eilbert of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Examining what radicalizes a child toward gun violence and school shootings.
- Cara Anthony of KFF Health News: An investigation of a school district practice that bars young gun violence survivors and their families from the city’s high school campus due to threats against them that could endanger other students.
- Dené K. Dryden and Olivia Estright of Rochester Post Bulletin: Quantifying the impact of child firearm injuries and deaths in southeast Minnesota and the continued physical and mental health impacts of these events.
- Estefania Arellano-Bermudez of El Central Hispanic News: Exploring the disproportionate gun violence in the Latino community in Detroit while highlighting the importance of community resources and effective policies.
The fellowship covers the cost of attending AHCJ’s annual conference and an in-person seminar, as well as a $2,500 project allowance to defray the cost of field reporting, health data analysis and other project-related research. Fellows will also receive a $5,000 award upon the successful completion of the project.
Learn more about the Firearm Violence Reporting Fellowship.
Learn more about AHCJ’s other health journalism fellowships.
The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With about 1,500 members across the U.S. and around the globe, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its sister organization, the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, provide training, resources and support for journalists, including health journalism fellowships, webinars, networking and conferences.
The Joyce Foundation is a private, nonpartisan philanthropy that invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. They carry out their mission by supporting policy research, development, and advocacy in six program areas: culture, democracy, education & economic mobility, environment, gun violence prevention & justice reform, and journalism. The Joyce Foundation is based in Chicago, Ill.
