Chips Quinn Reporter Spotlight: Taya Coates
Posting: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Taya Coates, one of the selected reporters for this year’s 2024 class of the Chips Quinn Program for Diversity in Journalism, is a dynamic Marketing and Communications Specialist at YWCA South Hampton Roads. Taya’s journey into journalism is as inspiring as it is impactful, and JFP is thrilled to have her a part of this year’s cohort.
Coates is from Hampton, VA, and is a recent graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her passion for journalism began early, fueled by the vibrant representation of Black media she saw growing up. This set her on a path to becoming an inspiring journalist by reporting the truth and encouraging others to make a difference.
Taya Coates
Chips Quinn Reporter
While studying at VCU, Coates reported on the General Assembly for Capital News Service, an experience that deepened her understanding of the importance of local journalism. Her reporting focused on politics and health issues, with an emphasis on underrepresented populations. This experience highlighted the crucial role local journalism plays in addressing and amplifying issues that affect one's community.
Taya Coates reporting for Capital News Service (Taya Coates/ Capital News Service)
For her work, Coates aspires to reinvent fashion reporting by uncovering untold narratives within the industry. She is particularly passionate about covering the intersection of lifestyle and socioeconomic issues. She is focused on shedding light on the experiences of underrepresented women of color in fashion and aims to tackle common industry challenges such as copyright laws, fair factory wages and textile waste.
As for Coates’ achievements, she is proud of an exclusive piece she wrote about a handmade Black fashion brand whose designs were wrongfully copied. Thanks to her reporting, she not only provided a platform for the brand to reclaim its narrative but also offered valuable advice to future fashion professionals. This story exemplifies Taya’s commitment to making a difference through her work.
Why Apply for the Chips Quinn Program?
Coates said she applied for the program because of its legacy and commitment to increasing diversity in journalism. Looking back on the program’s history, especially its all-Black founding class, she felt a connection to its mission of supporting young journalists of color. Through the fellowship, Coates hopes to develop strong connections and gain invaluable insights from her mentor and fellow mentees. She is eager to grow as a writer, perfect her storytelling techniques, enhance her investigative abilities and further develop her leadership skills in journalism.
When asked to provide advice to aspiring journalists, she encourages young journalists like herself to seek out mentors and be open to learning from their experiences. She emphasized the importance of embracing diversity in voices and perspectives and letting passion for storytelling drive their work. “Journalism is a powerful tool for change,” she said, “and your unique background and experiences can bring vital perspectives to the field.”
Message From Her Mentor
"What I love most about mentoring Taya is seeing her drive and ambition to break into a tough industry. Her genuine commitment to underserved communities is exactly the kind of spirit we need more of in journalism and communications. She has already proven herself to be an incredibly versatile journalist by shining a light on everything from accountability in the fashion industry to public health disparities. Any publication would benefit from her varied reporting experience and timely insights."
Jie Jenny Zou is an award-winning investigative journalist with over a decade of experience specializing in government accountability, public records access and data analysis. Her work has been published in dozens of leading outlets across all platforms including NPR, The Associated Press, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, Vox and more. She's reported on everything from the environment, labor safety and criminal justice.
Jie Jenny You Freelance Reporter
Started by the 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 as well as a $10,000 stipend to each Chips Quinn reporter.
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.
###
Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
