Detroit Diaries: Dispatches from the Fi2W Food Journalism Fellowship

The Fi2W Food Journalism Fellowship at WDET supports emerging voices in food reporting in Metro Detroit.  Over the course of the fellowship our journalists will be working in communities reporting on a wide range of food stories. And they will be writing blog entries to chronicle their experiences, including personal reflections, reporting experiences and insights from the field.

For some of our fellows, this is their first foray into radio as a medium to tell stories. For all, it is an opportunity to meet other journalists who share common interests. We hope the blog entries help you better understand Fi2W’s unique fellowship and mentoring process, and our ongoing efforts to highlight the voices of journalists from immigrant backgrounds and journalists of color.

Click on links to the blog entries below.

Serena Maria Daniels (right) with her Fi2W mentor Sarah Alvarez

Serena Maria Daniels covers halal burgers, Ramadan IHOP, Mexican Motown, grasshopper pizza and other topics at the intersection of food, culture and migration for Thrillist, Eater Detroit, Latino USA, Remezcla and others. She writes about urban policy and equity for Next City, and chases breaking news stories in Detroit and Flint for Reuters. She is the founder, publisher and editor of Tostada Magazine and is a recovering daily newspaper reporter for Detroit News, the Chicago Tribune and the OC Register. Her favorite tacos come from back home in LA. She doesn’t believe in ketchup on hot dogs, and prefers her pizza square. Non-trolling inquiries can be made at serenamaria.com.

Read Serena’s diary here and here.

Nargis Hakim Rahman is a Bangladeshi American Muslim writer and a mother of three. Nargis graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a psychology minor. She is passionate about community journalism in the Greater Detroit area. She hopes to give American Muslims and minorities a voice in the press. She writes for Haute Hijab, The Muslim Observer, Brown Girl Magazine, and Metro Detroit mommy. Twitter & Instagram: @nargisthewriter

Read Nargis’ diary here and here.

Brittany Hutson is a freelance food journalist based in Detroit. Raised on Long Island, New York, Hutson moved to Detroit a few years ago and became attracted to the city’s grassroots approach to rebuilding and supporting communities using food as a vehicle. Hutson’s work has appeared in Black Enterprise Magazine, Essence Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Tostada Magazine, Edible Brooklyn, and Eater Detroit.

Read Brittany’s diary here and here.

Dorothy Hernandez is copy editor and writer for Neighborhood Seen Magazine and Marketing and Communications Manager for the Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit. Follow her on Twitter at @dorothy_lynn_h

Read Dorothy’s diary here and here.

Support for the fellowship comes from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and through matching gifts from station donors, The International Association of Culinary Professionals’ foundation, The Culinary Trust, and its Growing Leaders Food Writing program. The Food Writing Program is funded with the support of the Boston Foundation.

Fi2W is supported by the David and Katherine Moore Family Foundation, the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation, The Ford Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The J.M. Kaplan Fund, an anonymous donor and readers like you.

AboutMei-Ling McNamara
Mei-Ling McNamara is a journalist, filmmaker and academic working in print and broadcast media. Her work has been featured in the Guardian, Al Jazeera English, CNN International and Channel 4. Follow her on Twitter @MLMcNamara