UC Berkeley Journalism students are reporting on “The Stakes” of President Donald Trump’s executive orders and policies affecting scientific research, educational initiatives and other programs focused on health and well-being in local communities through a series of print, audio and video interviews and stories published by newsrooms statewide.
“We’re doing what we do best in these unprecedented times to document the impacts on democracy, science and the rule of law,” said Interim Dean Elena Conis, professor of history and journalism. “We’re supporting students to do excellent journalism, by bearing witness to events in our communities and telling untold stories.”
Professor Shereen Marisol Meraji interviews David Hausman, professor at Berkeley Law and head of the Deportation Data Project about the executive order entitled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” Photo by Alicia Chiang (’25).
The project began this spring and kicked up this summer with 5 reporting interns for 10 weeks — all funded by UC Berkeley donors. The Stakes is a collaboration with newsrooms in the UC Berkeley-based California Local News Fellowship program.
“We’re doing what we do best in these unprecedented times to document the impacts on democracy, science and the rule of law,” said Interim Dean Elena Conis, professor of history and journalism. “We’re supporting students to do excellent journalism, by bearing witness to events in our communities and telling untold stories.”
Ava Hu’s (’26) investigation in The Guardian about the revocation of student visas over minor infractions that required fingerprinting kicked off the project. Hu’s story made The Guardian’s most popular stories list in April — 4th in total platform views and 10th in the so-called “deep reads” category.
Ava Hu’s (’26) investigation in The Guardian was rated one of the Most popular stories in April.
“Everything happened really fast — students started getting the news on Friday, and there was a lot of panic on social media,” Hu says. “In that moment, I felt that maybe, as a journalist, this was something I was meant to do. I wanted to help, and telling their stories felt like the most meaningful way I could. I’m incredibly grateful and moved that I was able to tell this story.”
An investigation by Riley Ramirez (‘26), published on KPBS, reported on two San Diego nonprofits that were poised to lose promised environmental justice grants from the federal governments. Ramirez broke the story before the EPA had notified the nonprofits.
A major multimedia component of the project, called “The Stakes Explained,” was recently launched by Professor Shereen Marisol Meraji and graduate students from across the J-School. The podcast and video series features UC Berkeley scholars and experts, including professors john a. powell, Travis Bristol, Cristina Mora, Eric Greenwald, Sarah Song and David Hausman.
Meraji, a longtime journalist and former NPR producer, reporter and podcast host, encouraged students in her Race and Journalism course this past spring to interview UC Berkeley scholars to unpack the anti-DEI measures, immigration policy shifts and regulatory rollbacks in President Trump’s executive orders. Those students, including Hallie Applebaum (’25) and Alicia Chiang (’25), recorded on-camera interviews and this summer, two interns, WanYu Yao (’26) and Paul Ghusar (’26), are moving the video component of the project forward.
“We know how difficult it is to include historical context and policy analysis in a news story because you’re only allowed so many words, or in my case, just a few minutes of airtime,” Meraji said. “So these interviews that my students conducted are meant to slow things down to provide some of that context and some of that history.”
The first iteration of “The Stakes Explained,” a four-part audio series, aired on NPR affiliate station, KALW in mid-June. The companion videos can be found on the school’s YouTube channel and Instagram. (Please find links to videos below.)
This summer, in addition to The Stakes Explained audio/video projects, students Bryan Wen (‘26), Renée Bartlett-Webber (‘26) and Wen Shao (‘26) are working with Local News Editor Christine Schiavo to report narrative pieces to be published in California outlets. The students are reporting stories on federal cuts that affect food security, education and policing.
Monica Campbell, interim director of the California Local News Fellowship, has been shepherding the project since its inception. “There’s a clear need to support journalism that meets this urgent moment in our history,” she says. “We’re elevating stories about how Californians are living through this moment of sweeping national actions, and elevating those stories through the power of our statewide newsroom network and Berkeley Journalism’s reporting muscle.”
Studio Shots
Sarah Song Professor of Law, Philosophy and Political Science and teaches courses in immigration and citizenship law and policy at UC Berkeley being interviewed by Andres Larios (’26). Photo by Hallie Applebaum (‘25).
UC Berkeley Professor john powell sits down with NeEddra James (’26) to explain how racism is, at its core, a story we’ve been taught to believe but as he reminds us, “we can tell different stories” — stories that strengthen democracy instead of tearing it apart.
Paul Ghusar (’26) filming a social video podcast at North Gate Hall.
Daniela Sandoval (’26) and Prof. Shereen Marisol Meraji taping an episode of “The Stakes Explained”. Photo by Marlena Telvick.