Just as health coverage is vital to the wellbeing of our Indigenous Nations, so too is the framing of those stories through a solutions lens.

The Health Equity Initiative, a partnership between the Solutions Journalism Network and the Indigenous Journalists Association, aims to increase the coverage of health issues that impact Indigenous people and communities, elevate the voices of Indigenous experts, and center health care conversations with Indigenous newsrooms covering the issues of their communities for their communities. 

Through both financial support and professional development, the initiative also aims to support newsrooms in making a lasting shift in health care coverage to include more regular, in-depth solutions coverage — stories that critically examine responses to problems (not just problems themselves.)

This 12-month Health Equity Initiative provides funding and training to five U.S. based Indigenous-led and -serving newsrooms starting in April 2024.

Each newsrooms will receive:

• $18,000 ($2,000 of which is earmarked for travel to the Indigenous Media Conference in July 2024);
• Monthly meetings with other newsrooms in the cohort to learn and support one another in this work;
• Monthly coaching calls with the Initiative co-leads, Melissa Cassutt and Christine Trudeau;
• An opportunity to dive deep into health equity issues through a solutions lens, and incorporate these reporting techniques into your regular reporting.

Apply to join by Friday, Feb. 2. 

Got questions? Attend our Information Session at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Register here.

Melissa Cassutt, Rural Media Manager | SJN

Christine Trudeau, President | IJA