Foot in the Door Fellowship

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About the Fellowship

Each year, the LA Press Club pairs five talented journalists from communities historically excluded from the media with newsroom veterans to actively work on securing a valuable work opportunity. More than a mentoring relationship, this will be a direct partnership to figure out how to launch career dreams and take concrete steps together to get there.

Click here to read what some of our fellows had to say about the program!

Who Can Apply

This fellowship is open to any early-career journalist in Los Angeles looking to move to their next big opportunity. You might be a recent grad, in an entry-level position, or completing an internship at a media company. If you have been in journalism for less than five years, you should apply!

Application Timeline

* December 5, 2022 — Deadline
* January 23, 2023 — Fellows Announced
* February 5, 2023 — Fellowship Begins
* July 2023 — Fellowship Culminates

Ready to Apply?

This year, the Los Angeles Press Club fellows will also receive a $2,500 stipend! Apply today and don't miss out on this awesome opportunity. Got a question? Email info@lapressclub.org.

Meet Our Mentors

Nic-Cha-Kim-2

Nic Cha Kim
PBS SoCal/KCET

Nic Cha Kim is a senior producer for PBS SoCal and KCET where he produces the award-winning local arts and culture television series Artbound and develops arts programming for public media.

Devoted to increasing diversity and inclusion in the newsroom, Nic co-chairs LA Press Club’s Foot in the Door Fellowship and mentors for Arts for LA’s Activate Innovators Program and PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs.

Read full bio.

Rebecca-Ford

Rebecca Ford
Vanity Fair

Rebecca Ford is Vanity Fair’s senior awards correspondent, where she writes for the magazine’s Hollywood section.

Rebecca writes profiles, features and columns covering the contenders of Oscar and Emmy season, along with other pieces delving into the entertainment business. She also moderates panels, covers film festivals and participates in Vanity Fair’s weekly awards podcast, “Little Gold Men."

Read full bio.

Shana-Nys-Dambrot

Shana Nys Dambrot
L.A. Weekly

Shana Nys Dambrot is an art critic, curator and author based in downtown Los Angeles. She is the arts editor for L.A. Weekly, and a contributor to Flaunt, Art & Cake, and Artillery.

She studied art history at Vassar College, writes book and catalog essays, curates and juries exhibitions, is a dedicated Instagram photographer and the author of the experimental novella "Zen Psychosis."

Read full bio.

Jim-Rainey

Jim Rainey
Los Angeles Times

Jim Rainey has been a professional journalist for four decades, covering government, politics, media, the environment and the life and times of his 100-year-old swim teammates, among a host of other subjects.

He has spent most of his career at the L.A. Times but he's also worked for the San Ramon Valley Herald in Danville, CA., the South Bay Daily Breeze in Torrance, NBCNews.com, and Variety, the Hollywood industry rag.

Read full bio.

Catalina-Villegas

Catalina Villegas
Spectrum News 1

Catalina Villegas is an anchor and reporter for Spectrum News 1 in L.A. She anchors "Your Weekend," a one-hour news show Saturdays at 5 p.m. She has worked at local, national and international levels for stations ranging from CNN to CBS, NBC and Univision.

This veteran journalist is known for her passion and extensive experience in every area of the newsroom, from anchoring to producing and reporting.

Read full bio.

Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2023

Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2022

Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2021

Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2020

Andrea-Gutierrez

Andrea
Gutierrez

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21:
Hawken Miller, multiplatform producer for Emerging News Products intern, Washington Post, on June, 21, 2019 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Hawken
Miller

Shivani-Patel

Shivani
Patel

Matthew-Rodriguez

Matthew
Rodriguez

Simrin-Singh

Simrin
Singh

Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2019