Meet Philadelphia’s Newest Criminal Justice Journalists…
Formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth are partnering with media outlets through a new Media Justice Fellowship to publish articles, op-eds, radio pieces, and short films in an effort to identify solutions to urgent justice issues
"We want you to know that directly impacted folks are the experts of their own experiences. We are not a sound bite, headline or statistical talking point. We, just like everyone else in society, are complex human beings with complicated lives, and stories." -Abd’Allah Lateef, Lead Media Justice Fellow
What if news stories about the criminal justice system were written by those who knew the issues best…formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth?
The Reentry Think Tank is excited to announce the launch of the Media Justice Fellowship, which will train, fund, and support formerly incarcerated men, women, and youth to be Philadelphia’s newest criminal justice reporters. Fellows will partner with a variety of local/regional media outlets, professional journalists, and journalism experts to research, produce, and publish a series of media pieces throughout the spring of 2019. This new fellowship centers formerly incarcerated Philadelphians as the criminal justice experts who are best suited to create media and messaging that challenge stereotypes, illuminate hurdles to reentry, and present solutions to these urgent and systemic issues.
The Media Justice Fellows, ranging in age from 27 - 65 years old, will focus on a variety of issues: the experiences of senior citizens in reentry; juvenile justice reform; features about successful businesses led by formerly incarcerated individuals; and a podcast series about adjusting to life after a commuted life sentence.
This program has been made possible through a Lenfest Institute News Ecosystem Collaboration Grant.
Spring 2019 Media Justice Fellows:
Derrick Cain, Anthony Hirschbuhl, Marcus Jarvis, Raymond Jordan, Abdul Lateef, Sheila Michael, and Joseph Schwartz