Fostering Media Connections & The Chronicle of Social Change Move Headquarters to Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - Oct. 26, 2015 - PRLog -- Fostering Media Connections (FMC), a nonprofit journalism organization and publisher of The Chronicle of Social Change (http://www.chronicleofsocialchange.org), relocated to downtown Los Angeles from San Francisco earlier this month.

Los Angeles County has the nation’s largest child welfare system, serving more than 35,000 children. The move aligns with FMC’s mission to drive mainstream media coverage of issues affecting vulnerable children, youth and families. The Chronicle of Social Change, a daily national news publication devoted to child welfare, juvenile justice and child trauma, produced more than 1,100 stories on these issues in the 2014-15 fiscal year.

“The decision to move to Los Angeles was about more than just strategy,” said Daniel Heimpel, founder and executive director of Fostering Media Connections. “It’s about responsibility. Los Angeles has committed itself to wide-ranging reforms meant to better prevent child abuse and to protect children when abuse happens. Through a mixture of solution-based and accountability journalism, we plan to play an important role in seeing the best of those reforms come to pass.”

Fostering Media Connections is supported by organizations nationwide, including a number of foundations in Los Angeles such as The California Endowment, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation and The Pritzker Foster Care Initiative. The organization has also contracted with the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work to improve the writing skills of students in the Masters of Social Work program. Heimpel also teaches a course at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy called Media for Policy Change wherein graduate students learn how to write and use solution-based journalism to propel social change.

“We’re thrilled to have Fostering Media Connections and The Chronicle here in L.A.,” said Wendy Garen, executive director of The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and member of The Chronicle of Social Change’s editorial board. “We have a unique opportunity for change in L.A. County right now and the press is critical in driving that forward.”

News directors, editors and reporters are encouraged to reach out to FMC with questions regarding child welfare, child trauma and juvenile justice. One of the organization’s primary goals is to help journalists produce impactful stories about children and families.

Members of the news media are welcome to stop by FMC’s new offices on Pershing Square in the Park Central building. The office, nicknamed “the cage” by staff, was previously home to a jewelry manufacturer and features a large steel security door as well as original tile dating back to 1914.

About Fostering Media Connections (FMC): FMC, founded in 2010, harnesses the power of journalism and media to advance child welfare and juvenile justice reform by covering emerging solutions to the systems’ challenges.FMC accomplishes this mission by reporting and producing in depth news stories, which are published in The Chronicle of Social Change. FMC also trains student journalists, policymakers and social workers in solution-based journalism. Learn more at www.fosteringmediaconnections.org and www.chronicleofsocialchange.org.

To find out more about The Chronicle’s coverage or discuss stories you are following, contact Chronicle Managing Editor Christie Renick at: 213-265-7707 or crenick@fosteringmediaconnections.org.