Unmasking America

About

The Project

Thirty-five top journalism students from 17 universities conducted a major investigation this summer into the lingering impact of the pandemic as part of the Carnegie-Knight News21 program, a multimedia reporting initiative headquartered at Arizona State University.

For the project “Unmasking America,” the team of student journalists investigated disparities in policies and practices that intensified under COVID-19 and may persist. They traveled to dozens of cities and communities in rural and urban America to report on people who are used to struggling and those who are new to loss. They explored who has unequal access to health care, to education, to housing and to food.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation provides core support for the News21 program.

News21 fellows are supported by their universities as well as a variety of generous foundations, news organizations and individual donors, including The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, Inasmuch Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Knight Foundation and Myrta J. Pulliam.

Corrections Policy

News21 is committed to accuracy and welcomes feedback from sources and the public. Staff members and editors will promptly clarify content and correct factual errors.

We will note significant corrections and clarifications within packages. We will correct minor spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors without notice.

Contact Us

For questions about Unmasking America or the News21 program, please contact us at news@news21.com.

 

News21 fellow Mackenzie Wilkes films acres of farm land in Delano, California. (Lauren Irwin/News21)

Credits

Fellows

Multimedia Reporters

Amudalat Ajasa, Priya Bhat, Ian S. Brundige, Ceara Burden, Gina Butkovich, Jimmy Cloutier, Thomas Curdt, Ashley Depew, Emily DiSalvo, Zhixuan Fan, Kylie Graham, Meghan Hall, Chase Hunter, Lauren Irwin, Maddy Kline, Maya Leachman, Brenda Maytorena Lara, Elliott McVeigh, Sara Metz, Domenica Orellana, Michael Patton, Amanda Paule, Jessica Ruiz, Natalie Saenz, Emily Schmidt, Maxwell Shavers, Jessica Simms, Nancy Marie Spears, Prince James Story, Robert Tann, Zachary Van Arsdale, Emma VandenEinde, Beth Wallis, Wendy Weitzel and Mackenzie Wilkes

Photo and Video

Amudalat Ajasa, Ian S. Brundige, Jimmy Cloutier, Ashley Depew, Kylie Graham, Meghan Hall, Chase Hunter, Lauren Irwin, Maddy Kline, Brenda Maytorena Lara, Elliott McVeigh, Sara Metz, Domenica Orellana, Michael Patton, Amanda Paule, Jessica Ruiz, Natalie Saenz, Maxwell Shavers, Robert Tann, Zachary Van Arsdale, Emma VandenEinde, Beth Wallis and Mackenzie Wilkes

Data and Public Records

Amudalat Ajasa, Jimmy Cloutier and Robert Tann

Extras Editors

Priya Bhat, Emily DiSalvo, Meghan Hall, Jessica Simms and Robert Tann

Extras Web Producer

Priya Bhat

Extras Illustrators

Ashley Depew, Sara Metz, Maxwell Shavers and Zachary Van Arsdale

Social Engagement Editors

Gina Butkovich, Emily DiSalvo, Meghan Hall, Lauren Irwin and Natalie Saenz

Site Copy Editor

Maya Leachman

Podcast Show Producer

Beth Wallis

Podcast Host

Amanda Paule

Podcast Producers

Thomas Curdt, Emily DiSalvo, Natalie Saenz, Emma VandenEinde and Beth Wallis

Podcast Sound Engineer

Beth Wallis

Podcast Assistant Sound Engineers

Thomas Curdt, Emma VandenEinde

Staff

Executive Editor

Jacquee Petchel

Multimedia and Design Editor

Alex Lancial

Data Editor

Sarah Cohen

Data Visualization Developer

Hari Subramaniam

Copy Editor

Sara Brady

Office Manager

Joanna Avillar

Managing Editor

Venita Hawthorne James

Photo and Multimedia Editor

Juan Arredondo

Web Application Developer

Adnan Alam

Project Manager

Alex Lancial

Administrative Editor

Rebecca Blatt

Business and Finance

Sandy Mancilla, Shannon Mangino and Kimberly Moore

Financial Support From

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Inasmuch Foundation

The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com

News21 fellow Robert Tann captures a sunset time lapse on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. (Kylie Graham/News21)

Meet the Fellows

Meet the Staff

News21
Carnegie Corporation
Knight Foundation
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication