Chips Quinn Reporter Spotlight: Katrina Pham
Posting: Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Katrina Pham, an Audience Engagement Reporter at Borderless Magazine, brings a deep commitment to equity in journalism. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Pham uses her platform to amplify marginalized voices and make sure stories like her parents would be told. Born in Chicago, IL, Pham’s path to journalism was shaped by her family’s experiences. Her parents arrived in the U.S. as refugees after the Vietnam War, and Pham has dedicated her career to connecting immigrant communities with vital information to help them thrive.
Katrina Pham
Chips Quinn Reporter
Pham credits her fellowship with NPR’s NextGenRadio program as a significant moment in her career. The program provided her with valuable experience in reporting, multimedia production and storytelling. Additionally, her education at the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism equipped her with the skills and industry connections necessary to excel in the field.
As a second-generation immigrant, Pham is deeply committed to covering race and equity issues. These topics are central to her work as she sheds light on the challenges faced by marginalized communities and tries to create more inclusive narratives within the media.
Photo credit: Max Herman | Borderless Magazine
Pham’s recent story on the barriers Venezuelan immigrants face when applying for protected status in the U.S. stands out as one of her most impactful projects. Her reporting illuminated the complexities of an immigration system often inaccessible to non-English speakers, exposing the challenges the system places on individuals it is meant to protect.
Pham joined the Chips Quinn Fellowship to help drive change in how journalism operates as an industry. She recognizes the harm legacy outlets have historically caused marginalized communities and sees the fellowship as an opportunity to gain mentorship and connect with like-minded individuals who are working to make newsrooms more inclusive.
Pham’s advice to newcomers in the field is clear: “Find your people.” She goes on to say that the industry is tough, but there are people out there that can help you learn the ropes.
Photo credit: Aidan Ocampo
Message From Her Mentor
"Katrina has demonstrated a deep passion for covering and amplifying the stories that affect marginalized communities, paired with the journalistic excellence and empathy needed to do so. She strives to bring her all to her work - working on breaking news, features, newsletter, video and audience engagement work on and about the communities she focuses on. Even as an intern at The Marshall Project, she pitched and introduced an entirely new series that was well-received. I've been impressed by her journey, and I know she's going to go far."
Ethar El-Katatney
Editor in Chief, Documented
Started by Freedom Forum, the original Chips Quinn program helped put college interns into newsrooms across the country. Since its beginnings in 1991, the program has reached more than 1,400 people, many of whom are now in leadership positions for local and national newsrooms. Today, the program aims to offer support to early-career journalists already in their respective newsrooms through a 1:1 mentorship by leading members in the journalism field as well as alumni from the program. Thanks to continued support for the program from Freedom Forum, each Chips Quinn Reporter receives a $10,000 stipend..
About Freedom Forum: Established on July 4, 1991, by USA TODAY founder Al Neuharth, the Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all. As the nation’s foremost advocate for First Amendment freedoms, the Freedom Forum engages thousands of Americans each year in classes, conversations and celebrations of these essential rights, including through the Power Shift Project, the annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, the Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism, the Al Neuharth Award for Excellence in the Media, the Free Expression Awards, the annual “Where America Stands” survey, the Journalists Memorial and Today’s Front Pages.
About JFP: The mission of Journalism Funding Partners is to strengthen the depth, diversity and sustainability of local news by building and shepherding relationships between funders and local news organizations. JFP is a recognized nonprofit that acts as fiscal sponsor, allowing foundations and individual funders to contribute directly to local news, regardless of the news organization’s business model. JFP manages the funds feeding numerous news initiatives, including more than a dozen Climate reporters in the Southeast, an Equity Desk at The Sacramento Bee, an Education and Economic Mobility Desk in California’s Central Valley, the Investigative Fund of The Miami Herald and for Inclusivity and Investigative funds at the Associated Press.
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Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
