ABS-CBN TFC News senior reporter Don Tagala awarded reporting fellowship to cover 2024 U.S. elections

NEW JERSEY, May 28, 2024 - The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair University recently announced that ABS-CBN TFC News senior reporter Adonis "Don" Tagala was chosen along with five other journalists from New Jersey ethnic media outlets as reporting fellows who will cover the 2024 general elections.  Tagala, who is based in Jersey City, covers the East Coast for TFC News. 

In partnership with NJ Spotlight News, this journalism fellowship is part of the NJ Decides 2024 collaborative project and is funded by a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.

The fellows will be paired with NJ Spotlight News reporters and an adviser who will provide mentorship in reporting and writing. The fellowship runs from May to November 2024. Each fellow will produce at least one story throughout the duration of the project and will receive $1,000 for their participation.

Joining Tagala as reporting fellows are: Henrique Mano, editor-at-large, Luso Americano (Portuguese); Mark Tyler, editor, Atlantic City, Focus (African American), Kleibeel Marcano, editor, Reporte Hispano (Latino); Jongwon Park, deputy editor, The Korea Daily (Korean); and Maricarmen Amado, editor, New Jersey Hispano (Latino).

"This fellowship will give the participating news outlets an opportunity to explore election-related issues that matter to underserved and underrepresented communities," said Manya Brachear Pashman, who is coordinating the Center's 2024 NJ Decides collaborative work with NJ Spotlight, according to the press release from the Center.

Tagala has been a multi-awarded reporter for ABS-CBN TFC News.  His last major award was for his story, "Filipino Superheroes at the Frontlines of COVID-19 Wear Scrubs, Not Capes", which won the prestigious 2021 New York Press Club Award for Journalism in the Community Coverage category.  

"TFC News continues to make great strides in its reportage and Don winning a mainstream reporting fellowship this year attests to that," ABS-CBN News North America Bureau Chief TJ Manotoc said. "This inspires our team to think bigger and strive harder to tell the impactful stories of our community that are relevant to Filipino Americans and also connect and resonate with the larger American society."