Seven join NY Times’ inaugural class of local investigations fellows

The following excerpt was sent out from the Fellowship’s executive editor Dean Baquet, deputy editor Chris Davis and program and editorial director Sona Patel:

We are proud to announce the inaugural class of the Local Investigations Fellowship. The program, which is being led by Dean Baquet, the former executive editor of The New York Times, gives journalists the opportunity to produce signature investigative work focused on their state or region that will be published by The Times and made available for free for co-publication by local newsrooms.

The fellows in our inaugural class are:

Shalina Chatlani, a reporter for States Newsroom in New Orleans. Ms. Chatlani, who was raised in Mississippi, will live in Jackson for a year to examine the state’s health care system.

Ilyssa Daly, a reporter for the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting at Mississippi Today. Ms. Daly will report on local law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

Callie Ferguson, a reporter for the Bangor Daily News in Maine. Ms. Ferguson will write about the state’s juvenile justice system.

Sarah Fowler, a freelance journalist based in Jackson, Miss. Ms. Fowler will investigate the ongoing water crisis in Jackson, where crumbling infrastructure has routinely left the capital city without drinkable water.

Mario Koran, a reporter for Wisconsin Watch. Mr. Koran will examine the state’s Department of Corrections.

Blaze Lovell, a reporter for Honolulu Civil Beat. Mr. Lovell will write about emergency and no-bid contracts awarded by the state.

Alissa Zhu, a reporter for The Baltimore Banner. Ms. Zhu will report on the state’s opioid crisis.