Meet our Winter Civic Reporting Fellowship team, emerging journalists at the heart of our collaborative newsmaking process

By Sarah Conway

Clockwise from top right: Sarah Conway, Roger Fierro, Abena Bediako, Erika Perez and Sebastián Hidalgo. (Photo: Ariel Cheung/City Bureau)

The City Bureau network has grown exponentially over the past few years, spreading to 15 cities in 11 states across the country. We just welcomed our first executive director (hi, Morgan Malone!). Through it all, our editorial approach is both local and rooted in complex, nuanced narratives — the sticky ones so often tied to deeper, systemic issues that evade political resolution, where solutions are often found in collective, people-powered organizing. 

This is the spirit that our winter cohort of the Civic Reporting Fellowship is bringing to our coverage topic: how recent arrivals have been received in Chicago and how they are faring in their search for work. Our focus comes from more than a dozen interviews with recently arrived migrants, who have expressed that work — obtaining work authorization, finding a job and reaching economic security — is their No. 1 concern.

Collaboration with community members and other local media outlets is the pulse of our newsmaking process at City Bureau. Like always, we will do this by engaging in critical public conversations and producing information that directly addresses the needs of the people. 

I’m honored to introduce our winter reporting fellows, who will build out their beat on how work and labor issues are impacting recently arrived immigrants in Chicago. Learn more about them in their newly published bios — available in both English and Spanish — or get a brief rundown below:

  • Abena Bediako: Abena looks to build trust between the media and people from marginalized and oppressed communities. Her love of journalism can be traced back to a fourth-grade group project at her Rogers Park elementary school. 

  • Roger Fierro: The experiences that have shaped Roger’s life have laid bare, among other things, the significance of seeing oneself reflected in the media. Born and raised on Chicago’s Southwest Side, he is shifting from being a source of news to reporting on it himself.

  • Sebastián Hidalgo: Growing up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Sebastián was encouraged by his community to follow his passion. A self-taught photographer, much of what he knows comes from his life experiences, and much of his work seeks to shed light on social justice issues. 

  • Erika Perez: Growing up, Erika often took on the role of family fact-checker. Born and raised in the Hermosa neighborhood of Chicago, she was surrounded by friends and family who had questions about what they learned watching the local Spanish-language news station.

We want to connect with you!  As our fellows continue their work, if you have feedback, tips or ideas on our reporting topic, email me at sarah@citybureau.org.

Want to check out more civic reporting from our fellowship? Take a look at past projects here.