Last month, CatchLight staff, Fellows, journalists and partners gathered for a day of shared learning and conversations. We began the event by each sharing an example of visual journalism from last year that left a lasting impression or impact on us as readers and viewers. As a resource and source of inspiration for our wider community, we assembled these story recommendations into the round-up below.
They lived in an East L.A. home for 30 years. Now their landlords want to move in.
CalMatters
Story: Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
Photos: Adriana Heldiz
“This is a beautiful story that takes us into the home of a family as they prepare to move out after being evicted. Heartbreaking work and story.”
– Miguel Gutierrez, Visuals Editor, CalMatters
For Chinatown’s Older Residents in SROs, Climate Disasters Pose Greater Risks
San Francisco Public Press
Story/Photos: Ambika Kandasamy
How Drug Addiction Tore a Family and Tribe Apart
The New York Times Opinion Section
Story: Judith Surber
Photos: Justin Maxon
“Resonating throughout the publication of this project is the collaboration between writer Judith Surber and photographer Justin Maxon, both of whom grew up in Hoopa Valley Reservation in Northern California and are long-time friends. Judith shares the story of her lived experiences and the intersecting realities of the Fentanyl Crisis on the reservation.
“The intimate weaving of experiences and emotions through words and photographs unfolds a deeper understanding. This is a story that has stayed with me. It is a powerful example of centering collaborative practices in visual journalism.”
– Jenny Jacklin-Stratton, Executive Editor
Asylum-seekers cross Rio Grande into US
Reuters
Photos: Adrees Latif
Half Moon Bay community honors victims of mass shooting with Día de Muertos event
El Tecolote
Story/Photos: Pablo Unzueta
“I’ve seen Día de Muertos covered many times before, but this particular one was special given the tragic mass shooting in Half Moon Bay. I’m from the peninsula, and I know how migrant farm workers there have been made invisible. Pablo shot this assignment with such care. He made these folks visible, especially in a moment of grief. That’s the best journalism, highlighting a community and their very real struggles, without exploiting them.”
– Alexis Terrazas, Director of Programs and Strategic Partnerships, Renaissance Journalism
TERROR ON REPEAT: A rare look at the devastation caused by AR-15 shootings
The Washington Post
Story: Silvia Foster-Frau, N. Kirkpatrick and Arelis R. Hernández
The Surprising Geography of Gun Violence
POLITICO Magazine
Story: Colin Woodard
Photos: John Locher
Memories of the market
El Tímpano
Photos: Hiram Durán (CatchLight Local Fellow 2023)
Birth can be dismal for Black women. What this hospital is doing to stop that
Los Angeles Times
Story: Emily Alpert Reyes
Photos: Francine Orr
What gender-affirming care means to these Wisconsin families
Wisconsin Watch
Story: Phoebe Petrovic
Photos: Drake White-Bergey and Sara Stathas
“The photos that Wisconsin Watch commissioned of the non-binary child “Sam” were made after multiple conversations with the parents, the reporter, and the photographer. We aimed to both show Sam’s youthfulness, while also protecting their identity. These photos help to humanize an often-misunderstood issue by showing that being transgender is a real part of even very young children’s lives.”
– Coburn Dukehart, Managing Editor, CatchLight Local
Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour
The New York Times
Story: Mike Baker, Malika Khurana, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Riley Mellen, Natalie Reneau, Bedel Saget, Elena Shao, Anjali Singhvi and Charlie Smart
Faith fills more than a spiritual void for California’s migrant workers
National Geographic
Story: Amy McKeever
Photos: Brian L. Frank (CatchLight Global Fellow, 2017)
“This story offers an intimate look at the role of faith in the lives of farmworkers. Anyone who has covered immigrant communities in California knows the strong role that faith plays in people’s lives, yet it’s a topic rarely explored by the media.”
– Mabel Jiménez, California Visual Desk Editor, CatchLight Local
Facing Life: Eight stories of life after life in California’s prisons
Published with support from The Pulitzer Center
Story: Pendarvis Harshaw
Visuals: Brandon Tauszik
“This is a multimedia project that puts the complex humanity of formerly incarcerated people into focus. I think a lot of folks who spend time exploring the stories will start to ask themselves questions that break certain thought patterns or reveal personal fears and biases. Maybe they’ll just be reminded that it’s hard enough to change our own minds, let alone our whole lives, and maybe they’ll find a way to give compassion to someone who’s going through a big change down the line.”
– Maz Ali, Communications Director, CatchLight
These are the people of People’s Park
Berkeleyside
Story/Photos: Ximena Natera (CatchLight Local Fellow 2022)
“This was the biggest visual first story we have produced at Berkeleyside and it was a very hands on process, with reporters and editors across Berkeleyside and CatchLight working to figure out how to present it.”
– Ximena Natera, CatchLight Local Fellow, Berkeleyside