In Emeryville is about fresh, in-depth local news coverage. Honest stories and honest perspectives. Listening to community voices, and reporting on them so others can hear too.
But what we’re really about is you—the people who live, work and study in Emeryville.
We are six women journalists who share a passion for community reporting and a knack for multimedia storytelling. We’re graduate students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and our project is funded in part by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
Have an issue your neighbors should know about? Want to recommend a hidden gem in Emeryville? Or invite us to your high school football game (we’re already fans!)? We welcome your feedback on our stories and your suggestions for new ones.
And we look forward to seeing you around town … in Emeryville.
Alba Mora-Roca
World-traveling, inquisitive documentary filmmaker Alba came all the way from Barcelona, Spain to Berkeley for her graduate degree in journalism. And she is happy to be here. Oh yes. Email Alba at albamoraroca@gmail.com
Amanda Martinez
Born in Texas and raised in San Jose, Amanda currently lives in San Francisco and considers herself a hybrid between country and city girl. From salsa to Sopranos, her interests are vast, but her passion is covering the Latino community and the American education system. Before joining In Emeryville she worked as a reporter for New America Media and El Tecolote. Email Amanda at amartinez.newmedia@gmail.com
Betty Bastidas
Born in Ecuador and raised in New York, Betty moved across the country to pursue documentary film at Berkeley. Using photography, sound and video as a social tool, she’s attracted to vital and inspiring stories. Her interests are youth culture, immigration and the arts. Betty’s projects have taken her across the world—to India, Thailand, Laos, Australia, Cuba, Colombia, and Ecuador as well as within the U.S. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vibe, Trace, Esquire and Fuego, as well as on PBS-POV Interactive and BET. Email Betty at betty.alexandra@gmail.com, or visit her website at www.babphotography.net
Kate Kilpatrick
Before coming to Berkeley to study multimedia reporting, Kate was online editor at alt-weekly Philadelphia Weekly where she covered everything from street violence and youth culture to baseball and immigration. Her writing has also appeared in Fader, Black Book, and Dazed & Confused magazines. Email Kate at kathleen.kilpatrick@gmail.com
Shaleece Haas
Shaleece has worked as a documentary photographer for nearly a decade. Her work has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and in magazines including Marie Claire, Ms. Magazine and Bark. She also served as one of the first facilitators for StoryCorps, a national oral history project. In addition to her work in journalism, Shaleece co-founded a nonprofit organization to treat and prevent obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury affecting women in poor countries. Email Shaleece at shaleece@inemeryville.org
Shikiri Hightower
Shikiri, 32, is a Berkeley native and fashion junkie who believes everyone has a story to tell. After studying broadcast journalism at USC, she opened two high-profile boutiques in L.A. (Shikiri and Golden Butterfly). She’s also lived in Long Island, Tampa and Dallas, and is glad to be back in the Bay Area along with her two children Maia and Keyshawn. Shikiri is focusing on television, radio and magazine writing at Berkeley. She enjoys good friends, good food, travel, soccer and basketball. Email Shikiri at shikiri@inemeryville.org
