Virtual Journalist Visit Opportunities to Explore Public Health

Public health is an evergrowing topic. Health affects us all and there are many issues affecting individuals around the world. When you think of public health do you think about the many ways it intersects into other issues? Such as a job in the heat, in the midst of climate change, resulting in someone needing dialysis? Or how living near an airport with leaded aviation gasoline can affect your health? Or how issues in our U.S. healthcare system could allow a negligent doctor to hop from state to state without repercussions?

To shed light, we have put together a list of journalists who have reported on some of the public health issues happening around the world. Journalists have pursued in-depth reporting projects that define public health, why it matters, and the gravity of how certain decisions can affect the health and livelihoods of others. 

Bring this conversation into your classroom by inviting one of our featured journalists who have reported on public health issues to speak with your students! Take a look at our featured guest speakers below, and click here to connect your class with a guest speaker. This opportunity is open to classroom and afterschool educators, as well as educators working with students in carceral facilities.

Journalist Guest Speakers for Public Health Issues

• Karen Shakerdge, Nsikan Akpan, and Christopher Werth, journalists who reported on systemic problems in the U.S. healthcare system that allows negligent doctors to hop from state to state.

• Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, a journalist and news presenter who reported on trash sorters in Ghana and the health risks they face due to their work. 

• Precious Williams, a journalist and MPH Candidate at George Washington University who reported on Lagos’ poor flood drainage system leads to disease spread and malaria outbreak.

• Greta Díaz González Vázquez and Alexa Ura, journalists who reported on volunteer networks in Mexico that are helping people seeking access to safe abortions.

• Carolina Cuellar, a journalist who reported on the living conditions of Texans living in colonias including their toxic water supplies.

• Suprakash Majumdar, a journalist who reported on waste pickers in India many of whom are children from historically marginalized communities and the adverse health effects this work has on them.

• Aryn Baker, a senior international climate and environment correspondent at TIME who reported on the impacts of extreme heat on our mental health.

• Hadas Thier, a journalist who reported on how decades of racial discrimination and neglect have led to Jackson Mississipi’s water crisis which is now being exacerbated by climate change.

• Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe, a multimedia journalist who reported on flooding in Washington, D.C with residents living in the capital’s poorest wards bearing a disproportionate burden.

• Michael Coren, a journalist who investigated the negative health impacts of leaded aviation gasoline on people living near airports—disproportionately communities of color—including more than 363,000 children. 

• Agostino Petroni, a journalist who reported on a genetically modified super banana rich in Vitamin A.

NOTE: We cannot always guarantee a specific journalist due to availability, but we will work with you to suggest several options based on your goals and meeting times.

About the Virtual Journalist Visit Program

The Pulitzer Center offers free virtual journalist visits to K-12 schools worldwide. We have worked with over a thousand journalists over the years, covering diverse topics and geographic regions, and we will match you with a journalist based on your request. We use many different platforms to connect, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams, and we will work with you to identify the best technology for your learners. Virtual journalist visits are a great way to help students:

• Understand how what they're studying affects people's lives
• Learn how research, writing, critical thinking, multimedia, and more skills are used in journalism
• Practice preparing and asking questions of an expert
• Get excited about using the news to learn about the world
• And much more!