Congratulations to Ashley McKinless, an associate editor at America Media, who has been awarded the 2016 Egan Journalism Fellowship, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services. Along with three other fellows, Ms. McKinless will travel to Honduras and Guatemala with C.R.S. to report on the push factors—from gang violence to climate change—that have forced thousands of Central Americans to migrate to other countries, including the United States, in search of safety and economic opportunity.
Congratulations to all of this year's recipients.
Here is the official announcement:
BALTIMORE, MD, June 1, 2016 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) announced the recipients of its coveted 2016 Egan Journalism Fellowship, who will travel to Central America in the fall to examine the root causes of migration.
The journalists represent Catholic and secular media and, for the first time, a Spanish-language journalist. They are:
- Mariana Veraza, video journalist, Univision
- Robert Christian, editor, Millennial
- Ashley McKinless, associate editor, America Media
- Judith Sudilovsky, freelance correspondent, Catholic News Service and Our Sunday Visitor
The fellows will travel for 10 days to Honduras and Guatemala to explore the factors that compel people to migrate to safe places, seeing CRS programs that deal with mounting violence and gang activity that cause parents to send their children on the perilous journey to the United States. CRS’ work with at-risk young people reduces child labor and helps children stay in school. Other programs are aimed at young people in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Central America to build life skills, leadership, entrepreneurship and vocational skills to transform their lives and their communities.
