Our Mission

The Institute for Justice and Journalism was created in 2000 with Ford Foundation funding to strengthen reporting on social justice issues. Previously based at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, IJJ relocated to Oakland in 2009.

To strengthen news media coverage about justice and injustice, IJJ seeks to:

• Help journalists bring context, depth and diversity of perspectives to news coverage and commentary about complex social justice issues, particularly immigration and racial and economic inequality.
• Make exemplary journalism accessible to the public across all media.
• Raise the standing of justice issues in the field of journalism, ensuring that media decision makers nurture high-quality news coverage.

IJJ activities include:

• Professional fellowships
• Direct support and grants for journalists
• Digital resources for journalists, journalism educators and students
• Conferences, forums and collaborative projects