Breanna Reeves
Black Voice News reporter and California Local News Fellow Alyssah Hall joins the LA Press Club’s Foot in the Door Fellowship Class of 2025.
The Foot in the Door Fellowship matches five early-career journalists from historically excluded communities with newsroom veterans who work with them to achieve career goals. The mentorship allows young journalists to cultivate a partnership with veteran reporters that will help them take steps to reach their career dreams.
“Black Voice News welcomes Alyssah’s acceptance as a member of this year’s cohort of the Los Angeles Press Club ‘s Foot in the Door Fellowship,” said Black Voice News Executive Editor Stephanie Williams. “Her participation in this fellowship program will provide an opportunity for Alyssah to expand and fine tune her reporting acumen and technical expertise with the benefit and support of experienced mentors.”
Hall learned about the fellowship from her former Journalism Professor Julie Patel Liss at California State University, Los Angeles. Liss often sends former students fellowship opportunities that she believes will support them in their careers. Liss is also credited for Hall’s California Local News Fellowship submission.
“What intrigued me about this [Foot in the Door Fellowship] is the fact that they’re very diverse, they’re very much trying to give these opportunities to marginalized communities and they have really great mentors that I’ve seen in lineups,” Hall said.
Hall is paired with David Ono, the co-anchor of ABC7’s Eyewitness News at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Ono joined ABC7 in 1996, and covered historic events during his time such as Hurricane Katrina, Haiti’s earthquake and Japan’s tsunami. Ono has interviewed former President Barack Obama one-on-one, covered the Pope and has won dozens of prestigious journalism awards for his news coverage.
Hall admitted she is somewhat intimidated by the veteran journalist, but said that she is excited to learn from one of the best broadcast journalists in the business — “if anyone knows anything about broadcast, it’s him,” Hall said.
The fellowship is a six-month partnership in which Hall will periodically meet with the other four fellows for scheduled events, and one-on-one with her mentor.
Hall’s interest in journalism knows no bounds as she hopes to dive into the broadcast journalism industry as well as explore other formats such as photojournalism and radio.
“I want to learn and grow and be a better journalist and a better person. I want to be more well-rounded, and I think that comes with learning from different people, too, and not just staying inside a little bubble,” Hall explained. “So, it was really awesome that I got selected.”
In the six months since Hall has been reporting for Black Voice News, she has covered a variety of local news stories, from local elections and community events to community profiles. Hall also launched an Instagram campaign during the 2024 election to educate people on the propositions. Hall hopes the Foot in the Door Fellowship will allow her to strengthen her skill set while also expanding opportunities for her career.