LOS ANGELES – Nov. 22, 2021 – PRLog — Fostering Media Connections (FMC), a nonprofit media organization dedicated to child welfare and youth justice issues, is expanding its footprint in the state of New York by adding an upstate youth justice reporter to its editorial team.
The Imprint, FMC’s flagship publication covering youth justice and foster care, first launched its New York City bureau with one reporter in 2018. It has since added an additional child welfare reporter on statewide issues, and now, youth justice reporter Adilia Watson.
Watson, who is from Stockton, California, is a graduate of Seattle University. She joins the New York reporting team after a four-month reporting fellowship with The Daily Yonder, a publication of the Center for Rural Strategies.
Watson is a former Emma Bowen Foundation fellow and has published articles in Cultura Colectiva and The Yucatan Times. She will be based in Buffalo as she works to elevate news coverage of youth justice outside of the New York City metro area.
“We are delighted to have Adilia covering critical justice issues related to young people, families and communities in upstate New York, particularly given how little press the topics generally receive in the media,” said Karen de Sá, The Imprint’s executive editor. “Adilia brings a keen eye for uncovered news and a depth of insight that we are excited to share with Imprint readers as we begin publishing her stories this month.”
Watson’s hiring was made possible by The Tow Foundation, a family foundation that believes deeply in the importance of both local journalism and youth justice reform. By supporting a reporter dedicated to these specific issues, the Foundation advances its vision of a society where all people have a voice in their community and the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life.
“Publications like The Imprint play a critical role in the youth justice reform movement, but ultimately it is up to individual reporters to find and tell the stories that need to be heard,” said Emily Tow, president of The Tow Foundation. “That is why we are passionate about supporting talented, early-career journalists like Adilia in their coverage of pressing local issues.”
“We are so grateful that The Tow Foundation shares our view that youth justice — efforts in the community and by government to support youth, prevent crime and intervene appropriately when young people are in crisis — is a subject worthy of far more attention than it currently gets in the media,” said John Kelly, co-executive director of Fostering Media Connections.
About Fostering Media Connections
Fostering Media Connections (FMC) is a nonprofit news organization that uses media and journalism to lead the conversation about children, youth and families in America. To do this FMC publishes a daily news site, The Imprint, and a print magazine, Fostering Families Today, and runs a youth journalism training program. Learn more at fosteringmediaconnections.org.
About The Tow Foundation
The Tow Foundation, established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, funds projects that promote transformative experiences and collaborative ventures in fields where there are opportunities for breakthroughs, reform and benefits for underserved populations. Investments focus on the support of innovative programs and system reform in the fields of juvenile and criminal justice, medicine, higher education, journalism and culture. For more information, visit www.towfoundation.org or follow @Towfdn on Twitter (https://twitter.com/
