Help us continue to cover education, equity and economic development in Stanislaus County
Months ago, we set out to hire three reporters to better reflect the community and cover the issues most impactful to The Bee’s readers.
Their task? As part of our new Economic Mobility Lab, they would report on education, economic development and underserved communities in a way that would be both meaningful and engaging to the community.
At the same time, we asked for your financial support to help lift our team off the ground.
On both accounts, we couldn’t be more pleased.
Emily Isaacman, Andrea Briseño and Kristina Karisch arrived in Modesto new to the area but not new to quality journalism, as seen in recent months.
Isaacman has connected with students, educators and parents and shed light on the myriad issues being tackled inside classrooms and through campuses across Stanislaus County. Her sourcing made a success of our recent live education panel — moderated by Isaacman — that brought together a student, educator, administrator and health expert to answer your questions about topics tied to COVID-19. And, her story last month about Modesto City Schools’ Pandemic EBT cards, which went out to families by way of a somewhat nondescript letter from a South Dakota P.O. Box, helped at least one unknowing parent keep from discarding it in her shred pile.
Karisch’s dogged approach to housing and employment, along with other big issues, has resonated with readers. Her piece on Modesto and its chances to be a “tech hot spot” appeared in USA Today as well as The Modesto Bee. Her story on how the pandemic has impacted women in the workplace led to a panel discussion on the same topic conducted by the Stanislaus County Commission on Women. She was a guest speaker joined by, among others, Susan Talamantes Eggman, the state senator representing District 5.
Meanwhile, Briseño has written both for and about people in Modesto communities whose voices have been, to an extent, ignored or simply not heard. Her reporting has touched on race and culture, discriminatory practices, lack of access to basic services and the many successes that have gone unnoticed. Her articles are featured in a new and popular McClatchy newsletter, La Abeja, which launched a few months ago and highlights both her work and that of her Spanish-speaking counterparts in Sacramento and Fresno.
The creation of this team could not have happened without the generous support of funders such as the James B. McClatchy Foundation, Stanislaus State University, E.&J. Gallo Winery, Stanislaus Community Foundation, Porges Family Foundation and more than 250 community donors.
In an effort to expand on this important work that has started both shining a light on and finding solutions to vital issues in Stanislaus County, we are launching a fall news funding campaign at modbee.com/donate, where you can make a tax-deductible contribution to our community-funded reporters and leave them a note of support (we love to hear from our readers!)
To donate, go to modbee.com/donate.
To mail a donation:
Please make checks payable to “Journalism Funding Partners” or “JFP.” The publication name must be included in the memo line, and include your email address so we can send you an acknowledgment email.
Mail to: McClatchy, 1601 Alhambra Blvd., Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Thank you for your past and continued support. It means so much to the journalists at The Bee.
This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
