We are making newsrooms more diverse and inclusive.
Just 7 percent of the journalism industry workforce is Hispanic/Latinx, compared to 18.5 percent of the U.S. population and 29 percent of the Chicago population. Similarly, just 7 percent of news employees are Black, compared to 13 percent of the U.S. population.
Borderless provides pathways for emerging journalists from immigrant and other marginalized communities to report on immigration and learn from professional journalists. We mentor emerging journalists through internships, fellowships and one-off projects. Our award-winning team gives mentees comprehensive training in interviewing, writing, research and visual storytelling.
In 2021, we spent 1,000 hours mentoring and training young BIPOC journalists. Pathways alumni have gone on to work for places like the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Apple News, NBC News and U.S. News & World Report.
Here’s what two of our former Pathways interns say about their experience with Borderless:
“The summer I spent as a reporting intern with Borderless Magazine’s Pathways Program was pivotal to my journalism career. Learning the As-Told-To Method raised my standards for journalistic ethics when interviewing vulnerable sources. This is the skill I most look forward to implementing in future stories.
“Not only was I able to experience storytelling through different mediums and overall improve my writing, but this internship opened my eyes to the impact nonprofit news outlets can have in their local community.
“I’m especially grateful that I had the opportunity to work with a very talented group of individuals. Nissa, Michelle and the rest of the Borderless team served as mentors for me and were very supportive of my work during my internship. From attending weekly staff meetings to happy hour networking events, I felt very involved with the team and the surrounding journalism community – despite never having lived in Chicago.
“Since completing the internship, I have referenced the work I did at Borderless on many occasions, from job interviews to conferences like FOIA Fest. Most recently, I accepted a position with the San Francisco Chronicle as a data reporter. I am looking forward to utilizing the skills I gained from my Pathways Program internship at this new role.” – Adriana Rezal, now working as a data reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle
“The internship at Borderless meant putting the skills I learned in school to the test. From then on, Borderless instilled the importance of being thorough and handling stories that affect people, with care. My experience at Borderless gave me the opportunity to report in Spanish and connect with sources in-person, two areas of my career that I am continuing to explore within the cryptocurrency space.” – Francisco Velazquez, now working as a reporter at CoinDesk
Our Pathways internship and fellowship application period is now closed. Please sign up for our newsletter below to learn about future job openings and check out our opportunities page for other ways to work with Borderless Magazine.
