California Health Equity Fellowship

The California Health Equity Fellowship supports reporters across the Golden State who are pursuing ambitious projects on overlooked health and equity issues. Fellows identify the stories that need to be told in their communities to improve health outcomes, while the program provides funding, training, and mentorship to make those projects possible.

The fellowship emphasizes how local conditions—such as housing, schools, food access, and justice systems—influence how long and how well people live. Projects are designed to engage communities from the start and deliver journalism that drives impact across California.

Program Benefits

  • Reporting grants of $2,000–$10,000 for project costs
  • In-person training with health experts, policy analysts, community leaders, and top journalists
  • Five months of mentorship, virtual sessions, and skills-building workshops
  • Optional engaged journalism track with additional mentorship and $1,000–$2,000 in funding

Reporting Themes

The California Health Equity Fellowship supports journalism that looks beyond hospitals and clinics to the conditions shaping daily life. Fellows may focus on:

  • Systemic racism and the root causes of health inequities
  • Food insecurity, economic stability, and meeting basic needs
  • Housing insecurity in California and potential solutions
  • How justice systems, schools, or health systems serve—or fail—families and communities

  • Accountability reporting on whether healthcare and social welfare systems meet community needs

Who Should Apply

Journalists based in California who want to produce impactful enterprise reporting on health equity with a strong community connection.

Opportunity offered by:

USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism

Helping journalists investigate health challenges and solutions in their communities with fact-based, rigorous reporting that serves as a catalyst for change. The Center for Health Journalism has trained more than…
Online application form
Contact for application information
Opportunity type

Fellowship

Location(s) where available

California

Minimum grant amount

$1000

Maximum grant amount

$10000

Areas of focus

Criminal Justice
Environment
Equity/Inclusion
Health
Investigative Journalism
Poverty
Underrepresented Community(ies)

This is a recurring opportunity