INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has officially announced the selection of six exceptional media professionals as the 2026 fellows for the prestigious Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program. This year’s cohort comprises Jolene Almendarez, Ebony JJ Curry, Idris Mohammed, Damilola Oduolowu, Morgan Shay, and Tiffany Tan. Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, these six journalists represent a diverse cross-section of geographic regions, mediums, and professional backgrounds. The program, designed to cultivate the next generation of leadership within the journalism industry, connects practitioners from historically underrepresented backgrounds with veteran industry leaders, valuable mentorship, and robust professional networks. By integrating these fellows into the broader framework of the SPJ, the initiative seeks to drive systemic change and foster a more inclusive media landscape. Main Facts: The 2026 Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Fellowship The Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program serves as a cornerstone of the SPJ’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion within newsrooms across the globe. The fellowship is named in honor of the late Dori Maynard, a trailblazing journalist, fierce advocate for newsroom diversity, and former SPJ leader who left an indelible mark on the profession. As part of the 2026 fellowship, the six selected individuals will receive comprehensive support to attend SPJ26, the national journalism convention scheduled for October 1–4, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. The fellowship package includes: Complimentary convention registration Three nights of lodging at the official convention hotel Up to $600 in travel reimbursement During the multi-day event, the fellows will immerse themselves in targeted educational sessions, participate in high-level leadership discussions, and forge vital connections with peers, editors, and news executives from across the country. Chronology and History: Honoring the Legacy of Dori Maynard To understand the weight and significance of the Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program, one must look back at the foundational work of its namesake. Dori Maynard dedicated her career to addressing structural inequities within the American media. She famously challenged news organizations to confront what she characterized as "distorted coverage of communities of color," urging newsrooms to move past superficial tokenism and embrace fully representative, nuanced reporting. Maynard’s relationship with the Society of Professional Journalists spans decades. In 1999, she was appointed to the SPJ Foundation Board, where she helped guide the organization’s philanthropic and educational missions. Recognizing her profound impact on the industry and her tireless advocacy, SPJ named her a Fellow of the Society in 2001—one of the highest honors the organization bestows upon members of the journalism profession. The leadership program bearing her name continues her life’s work by equipping journalists from marginalized communities with the tools, visibility, and institutional backing necessary to step into leadership pipelines. Over the years, the program has helped launch numerous fellows into prominent editing, management, and educational roles, shifting the cultural and operational dynamics of modern newsrooms. Supporting Data and Fellow Profiles: Meet the 2026 Cohort Selecting this year’s fellows was described by committee leadership as an arduous task, given the sheer volume of qualified, passionate applicants. The six chosen professionals bring decades of combined experience, spanning local accountability reporting, international conflict zones, investigative journalism, and academic research. Jolene Almendarez Based in Northern Kentucky, Jolene Almendarez brings over a decade of dedicated newsroom experience to the fellowship. Her career spans traditional reporting, editing, and nonprofit news management, including a stint as managing editor of a nonprofit newsroom and freelance reporting for NPR. In 2018, Almendarez co-founded The San Antonio Heron, a pioneering nonprofit news organization focused on equity, urban development, and gentrification in downtown San Antonio. Her work consistently centers on systemic economic disparities and community-level impacts. Ebony JJ Curry Ebony JJ Curry is a Detroit-based journalist whose reporting sits at the critical intersection of policy and human experience, giving voice to communities frequently sidelined by mainstream coverage. Currently a 2025–26 reporting fellow with The 19th, Curry covers gender, politics, and policy. Prior to this role, she served as a senior reporter at the Michigan Chronicle, where her beat encompassed politics, education, housing, health disparities, and social justice. Her extensive background bridges nonprofit media, the historic Black press, broadcast, and digital platforms. Idris Mohammed Working internationally as a freelance journalist, Idris Mohammed has spent over a decade documenting conflict, humanitarian crises, governance, climate change, and media freedom across Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. His frontline reporting has been featured in prominent regional and international outlets, including The New Humanitarian, HumAngle, and The Guardian Nigeria. Currently, Mohammed is pursuing a Ph.D. in journalism and communication at the University of Alabama, where his academic research explores the psychological well-being of journalists covering conflict and terrorism, alongside the ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence in modern reporting. Damilola Oduolowu Damilola Oduolowu is a seasoned journalist, researcher, and educator with a decade of staff experience working for leading African and global media organizations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service. As a BBC senior journalist, he produced and reported critical stories from West Africa across television, radio, and digital channels (including web articles, video production, and podcasts). After earning his Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Oduolowu transitioned into academia and is currently a faculty member at the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Morgan Shay Representing the newest generation of storytellers, Morgan Shay is a multimedia journalist and recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University. Hailing from Enfield, Connecticut, Shay is deeply committed to amplifying voices traditionally underrepresented in regional media. She currently works as a writer for Seasons Magazine and CT Voice, where she is spearheading THE VOICE 30—an ambitious project celebrating 30 LGBTQ+ leaders, organizations, and allies across Connecticut who are driving positive social change within their communities. Tiffany Tan With more than 20 years of professional experience, South Carolina-based journalist Tiffany Tan boasts a distinguished career covering government, criminal justice, and public health. Formerly a senior reporter at The Post and Courier, Tan led comprehensive coverage of South Carolina’s resumption of prisoner executions following a 13-year legal and operational hiatus. Her impressive career also includes reporting posts at VTDigger and the Rapid City Journal, as well as international reporting assignments in Singapore and Beijing prior to her immigration to the United States in 2015. Official Responses and Stakeholder Perspectives The announcement of the 2026 cohort has drawn widespread praise from SPJ leadership and diversity advocates, who emphasize the critical timing of the fellowship amid shifting media landscapes and economic pressures on local newsrooms. Michael Puente, chair of the SPJ Diversity and Inclusion Committee, underscored the difficulty of the selection process while expressing high hopes for the incoming fellows. "Selecting this year’s fellows was no easy task. We had an outstanding group of applicants, each bringing unique experiences and a strong commitment to journalism," Puente stated. "These six journalists are committed to serving their communities, and we’re excited to help them build connections and grow as leaders in the profession." SPJ leadership notes that programs like the Dori Maynard fellowship are vital not only for individual career advancement but for the health of the industry as a whole. By fostering diverse leadership, the organization aims to help newsrooms better reflect the communities they serve, thereby rebuilding waning public trust in journalistic institutions. Implications: The Future of Diversity in American Journalism The induction of the 2026 Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program fellows arrives at a critical juncture for the media industry. As newsrooms grapple with staff reductions, technological disruptions driven by artificial intelligence, and polarized public discourse, the demand for equitable, community-centered reporting has never been higher. The implications of this fellowship extend far beyond the four-day convention in Columbus, Ohio. By integrating experienced journalists like Almendarez, Curry, Mohammed, Oduolowu, Shay, and Tan into the national network of the SPJ, the program creates a multiplier effect: Newsroom Leadership Pipeline: Fellows gain the institutional visibility and mentorship required to ascend to executive editorial boards, boardrooms, and university professorships, ensuring diverse perspectives shape news judgment at the highest levels. Enhanced Public Trust: By supporting reporting that covers neglected beats—such as regional gentrification, gender policy, international humanitarian crises, and marginalized community leadership—the fellowship directly addresses historical blind spots in mainstream media coverage. Resilience and Ethical Standards: In an era marked by rapid technological shifts and intense scrutiny over media ethics, embedding scholars and frontline reporters into professional networks reinforces rigorous reporting standards and psychological support for journalists under fire. As the media industry continues to evolve, initiatives like the Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program ensure that the torch of inclusive, fearless, and representative journalism is successfully passed to a new generation of leaders committed to the public’s right to know. Post navigation The Architecture of Silence: How Pakistan’s Digital Blackouts and Media Restrictions are Reshaping Reality
