Journalism for Social Change

In a vibrant democracy, journalism has the power and responsibility to both inform and inspire the public to political action.  Achieving this ambitious goal requires a deep understanding of current social problems and how policy is formulated; alongside the ability to tell that story in a manner accessible and engaging to the general public.

To accomplish this, Journalism for Social Change establishes a unique collaboration, in which UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, the Goldman School of Public Policy and the School of Social Welfare will engage in an interdisciplinary course exploring the intersection of journalism, public policy and child welfare over the spring semester. This course will be immediately followed by a summer fellowship for four students of journalism, two students of public policy and two students of social welfare.

FMC Project Director Daniel Heimpel, who has reported for Newsweek, The San Jose Mercury News, and was named “Journalist of the Year” by the LA Press Club, will be teaching the class Mondays from 5-7:30 pm at UC Berkeley. Listen to him talk about the class with CBS News in San Francisco here.

Student work will be placed on this page throughout the semester, so please check back to read the articles of solution for social change.