India Currents has been selected for Documented’s inaugural Building Bridges program, aimed at enhancing immigrant-serving newsrooms across the United States.
India Currents is proud to announce its selection for Documented’s inaugural newsroom cohort for the Building Bridges: An Immigrant Media Training Program. This initiative, set to run from January to May 2026, is designed to support local newsrooms throughout the United States and its territories in better serving immigrant communities.
Among 82 competitive applicants from 22 U.S. states, India Currents was one of only six newsrooms chosen. The selection process involved narrowing down to 44 candidates based on the immigrant communities they serve, geographic reach, and the LPC Civic Index. From this group, 15 finalists were invited for in-depth interviews with Documented staff.
The selected finalists were recognized for their innovative project proposals, strong commitment to serving immigrant communities, and the integration of community-driven journalism into their mission and editorial practices.
The Building Bridges program will offer intensive, hands-on support to six newsrooms as they develop editorial products rooted in inclusive, ethical, and high-quality journalism tailored for and with immigrant communities. The program will be led by Documented’s Chief Product and Education Officer Nicolás Rios, along with Program Manager Maria Arce, Product Lead Elite Truong, and Chief Strategy Officer Rebecca Neuwirth, supported by editorial staff and development teams.
This comprehensive training consists of 15 modules focused on building trust and fostering long-term relationships with immigrant communities. Upon completion, participants will join a community of practice for ongoing support, peer guidance, and engagement in the evolving field of community-driven journalism.
Inspired by Documented’s community-driven journalism model, the program is primarily supported by the Knight Foundation and aims to train more than 20 newsrooms over the next three years, with additional cohorts planned for 2027 and 2028.
“This initiative comes at a critical time in our country for immigrant communities, where building trust in journalism is more important than ever,” said Mazin Sidahmed, Executive Director of Documented. “The first cohort of program participants was selected for bold, disruptive initial ideas for editorial products that will help their newsrooms more deeply connect with and serve immigrant audiences, and we are thrilled to help them make their vision a reality.”
The inaugural cohort includes several notable newsrooms and their respective projects:
India Currents, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom founded in 1987, is the oldest outlet dedicated to covering America’s 5-million-strong Indian diaspora—the fastest-growing Asian population in the U.S. It focuses on telling Indian American stories, bridging generations, and fostering civic engagement through dialogue and understanding. Prachi Singh, Audience Engagement Editor, and multimedia journalist Sobhan Hassanvand will represent the outlet with a project centered on structured listening circles with Indian Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ethiopique serves Amharic-speaking immigrants in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The local news and community platform delivers practical reporting on local government, housing, immigration, public safety, education, and other issues affecting immigrants. Founder Henok Mengistu and a multimedia reporter will work on a project that involves gamifying immigration news and utilizing public spaces to build trust between immigrants and locals.
KPBS, a public media station with over 60 years of service in San Diego, engages immigrant communities through dialogue and community-driven journalism. South Bay Engagement Producer Marielena Castellanos and Grants and Engagement Manager Amanda Ochoa will participate in the program, focusing on WhatsApp communication channels for transborder immigrant communities in San Diego and Imperial cities.
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is an independent nonprofit public media organization that provides trusted regional journalism. Vice President of Community Connections Shayna Schlosberg and Director of Platform and Product Margaux Maxwell will attend the training program to develop TV, video, and digital products for content co-creation with Latin immigrants in Oregon.
The San Francisco Public Press serves historically underserved communities, including Asian Americans, and covers critical issues such as environmental protection, housing, public health, and immigration. Award-winning multilingual journalist Zhe Wu, Executive Director Lila LaHood, and Director of Development and Partnerships Lisa Rudman will join the training program to create comic strips and visually compelling explainers in Chinese regarding immigration policies.
VozColectiva, a female-led community newsroom in Philadelphia, amplifies Latin women’s voices on vital issues. Founded in 2023, it focuses on domestic violence coverage and prevention, producing a monthly YouTube program and collaborating with local organizations. Community Coordinator Evelyn Toriz and Reporter Zulma Guzmán will participate in the training program, working on pocket-sized brochures for domestic violence immigrant survivors that include QR codes linking to news, guides, and resources in Philadelphia.
Documented, based in New York, has integrated immigrant communities into its journalism and editorial development from the outset. The organization has created innovative platforms to engage immigrants directly, including Documented Semanal, a Spanish-language WhatsApp newsletter launched in 2019. The training program is a response to the growing demand from newsrooms across the U.S., Latin America, and Europe to learn from Documented’s community-driven model, according to Source Name.