Knight Foundation funds first South Bay journalism fellowship

A new journalism fellowship aimed at strengthening local news coverage and training the next generation of reporters is coming to the South Bay — supported by a $155,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The initiative brings together San José Spotlight, The Mercury News and San Jose State University in a first-of-its-kind regional collaboration focused on building a direct pathway from classrooms to local newsrooms.

“This fellowship is about investing in the future of local journalism right here in our community,” Ramona Giwargis, co-founder of San José Spotlight, said. “We’re creating real opportunities for emerging reporters to do meaningful work, tell important stories and build careers in the Bay Area.”

The effort responds to a growing need in the industry — developing and retaining local talent as newsroom resources continue to shrink.

Each year, at least four SJSU student fellows will be selected to receive financial support, hands-on newsroom experience and mentorship from journalists across the participating news organizations. Fellows will report on local issues — from housing and education to city government — while contributing to coverage across partner newsrooms.

Knight Foundation, which has long invested in strengthening local news ecosystems, said the collaboration reflects a growing need to support emerging journalists and rebuild local reporting capacity.

“Investing in the next generation of reporters is essential to the future of local news. This fellowship brings together two newsrooms and a university to provide emerging journalists with real-world experience,” Marisa Kwiatkowski, director of journalism at Knight Foundation, said. “That kind of collaboration is exactly what local journalism needs right now, and we’re proud to support it in a Knight community.”

A key goal is long-term retention by encouraging students to stay in the Bay Area after graduation and continue reporting on the communities they’ve come to know.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for our journalism students. They already win awards at state and national levels, but a fellowship at Spotlight or The Mercury News is the key ingredient that will inspire them to forge forward as career journalists in the Bay Area and beyond,” John Delacruz, director of SJSU’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, said. “The fellowship will be highly competitive and as partners we will ensure the students selected are passionate about reporting, investigating and telling the stories that matter.”

The fellowship launches in May 2026 and will run through 2028. The initiative is also supported by Omar Habbas, founder of Habbas and Associates, Larry Kuechler & Ivonne Montes De Oca, Lari Yamaguchi, Ken Yeager, the Drance family, Lisa & Sameer Adhikari and Blanchard Family BTB.

Community support is expanding

In addition to the South Bay Local News Fellowship, San José Spotlight has been granted a separate fellowship from Santa Clara University.

The Bronco Fellowship, funded by Santa Clara University’s Board of Regents, will support one to two students each year, equipping them with real-world reporting experience and preparing them for careers in local journalism.

The program’s inaugural fellow is Sofia Ruvalcaba, a third-year English major and journalism minor, and scene editor of the university’s campus newspaper, The Santa Clara.

“Journalism education and local news are a perfect match, and we are seeing this play out in different ways across the country,” Lisa Davis, associate teaching professor and journalism coordinator for SCU’s Department of Communication, said. “The opportunity to help our community by supporting local news, while also creating valuable experience for our journalism students, just makes good sense.”

The long-term vision is to continue expanding to additional colleges, universities and newsroom partners — building a sustainable pathway for diverse, community-rooted journalists.

“This fellowship partnership strengthens our newsroom while investing in the future of local journalism,” Josh Barousse, co-founder of San José Spotlight, said. “By working with San Jose State and SCU to mentor emerging reporters, we’re expanding our capacity to serve the community and helping build a more skilled pipeline of journalism talent.”

How to support the future of local journalism

Community partners and supporters are invited to help grow the university-to-newsroom pipeline to train a new generation of journalists who reflect the communities they serve.

Support for the fellowship will expand local reporting, create opportunities for emerging reporters and strengthen independent journalism across the South Bay.

To learn more or get involved, contact San José Spotlight Director of Development Thi Tran at [email protected].