The Press Democrat

The Press Democrat is the flagship of Sonoma Media Investments, a privately held news group serving Northern California’s Wine Country. It is the largest news organization between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, providing breaking news and sophisticated enterprise around key issues including education, local politics, immigration, wildfires and children’s health and well-being. The Press Democrat won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the wildfires that killed 44 people and destroyed 6,000 homes.

Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis

The Institute for Public Service Reporting is a nonprofit newsroom on the campus of the University of Memphis specializing in investigative reporting and in-depth explanatory journalism—an arm of the university with a firewall protecting their editorial independence. Its mission is to provide robust, civic-minded journalism that promotes a vibrant democracy, fosters inclusiveness and enriches the lives of the people of greater Memphis, including many underserved communities. Stories appear on its news site, and often in other publications as well.

Underscore Native News

Underscore Native News produces Indigenous-centered journalism that illuminates the intersections of sovereignty and justice and portrays the rich diversity of Native communities in the Pacific Northwest. We aim to produce thoughtful, revelatory stories that might otherwise go unreported and unheard, focusing exclusively on tribal communities and the issues that impact them. Through this work, we seek to forge a more equitable media ecosystem, strengthen democracy and improve diversity and representation in journalism.

Investigative Post

Investigative Post is a nonprofit investigative reporting center based in Buffalo, N.Y. It produces fact-based investigations and analyses on issues that matter to Buffalo and Western NY. Its goal is to expose injustice and malfeasance and hold those in power accountable.

Uvalde Leader-News

The Uvalde Leader-News is a semi-weekly, locally-owned newspaper that traces its beginnings to 1879. The newspaper's primary coverage area is Uvalde County (population 27,000), which includes the city of Uvalde with 17,000 residents. Virtually all of our content, which includes extensive coverage of local governmental bodies, is produced by our five-person newsroom staff.

Kingsport Times News

The Kingsport Times News serves readers in Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia with comprehensive local coverage, from breaking news to community events. Committed to journalistic integrity, it delivers the stories that matter most to its readers. As part of a family-owned group of five regional newspapers, the Times News collaborates with its sister publications to provide shared content across print and digital platforms, ensuring timely and reliable news for the communities it proudly serves.

VNN Oklahoma

Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma is a Native-owned newsroom dedicated to providing equitable news representation for Oklahoma's diverse population. Located on the Muscogee Nation Reservation, VNN Oklahoma unifies communities by disseminating verified information and filling knowledge gaps. Through collaboration with community partners and a commitment to grassroots journalism, VNN Oklahoma aims to nurture a healthy ecosystem of diverse perspectives and empower Indigenous communities.
Avery Martinez headshot

Avery Martinez

Avery Martinez is currently the water, ag & environment reporter for KMOV-TV in St. Louis, Missouri. He has worked in television, radio and newsprint across multiple states and markets. He brings a community approach to reporting. He cut his teeth in smaller family papers, before working in major syndicates and networks. Martinez has been a mental health correspondent, anchor, producer, legal staff writer, immigration specialist, editor, campaign correspondent and columnist—in addition to covering city, state and federal courts and legislatures. He was the first graduate of Fort Lewis College’s Journalism and Mass Media Studies program. Martinez has won awards and fellowships for his international coverage of healthcare systems, election committees, immigrant legal representation and the future of law school exams.

Estefanía Pinto Ruiz

Estefanía Pinto Ruiz covers environmental policies and regulations impacting the Mississippi River basin and explores potential solutions to ensure its sustainability. Before joining KWQC-TV 6 in Davenport, Iowa, Estefania interned as a culture reporter in Colombia's most widely read newspaper, EL TIEMPO.  She holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Florida and worked as an editor at WUFT News, focusing on their Spanish content. She also mentored students in reporting Latin American news in Spanish.  Estefania is a proud Colombian, so she is always looking for Colombian food and hosting a listening club for her favorite podcast, Radio Ambulante, to speak her native language to stay connected to her roots.

Dallas Free Press

Dallas Free Press, a nonprofit news site, launched in January 2020 with the mission of amplifying voices and exploring solutions to the city’s systemic inequities. It focuses community journalism efforts on three zip codes in South Dallas and West Dallas, which are predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, respectively.