Fort Worth Report welcomes reporters, new Documenters editor

Fort Worth Report welcomes reporters, new Documenters editor

Scott Nishimura, center, joins the Fort Worth Report as senior Documenters editor and reporter. From left to right: Cecilia Lenzen, Nicole Lopez, Eric Garcia and Shomial Ahmad joined the Report as reporters. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/New-hires-photos.png?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/New-hires-photos.png?fit=780%2C439&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button”>We feel as if we’re always celebrating with you, our readers. There’s so much happening at the Fort Worth Report, and we want to share it all as a testament to the incredible support from our community and the difference we’re making together.The national news being announced today: We are now part of a group of news organizations joining Documenters, a national initiative to make public meetings more transparent and accessible. City Bureau pioneered it in Chicago and Cleveland and is expanding it across U.S. newsrooms.Heading our effort will be senior editor Scott Nishimura, a longtime journalist and community leader. As part of the program, Nishimura and the Fort Worth Report will train and pay Tarrant County residents to access the information community members need to make the change they wish to see. The Documenters program, which will broaden and deepen the Report’s coverage of our community, starts in early 2025. We will have much more to share about Documenters in the coming weeks. Until then, we invite you today to learn more about Nishimura as well as other new staff members and the valuable work they are doing.Your support has allowed us to welcome five journalists to the Fort Worth Report team during the past several months. Higher education reporter Shomial Ahmad and government accountability reporter Cecilia Lenzen arrived at the Report in April, while senior business reporter Eric E. Garcia began in June. Each has already contributed substantially to our mission of connecting Tarrant County residents through trusted local news and in-depth information. Our newest team members joined us in September: Nishimura and Nicole Lopez, our new environment reporter. You may recognize her byline from her time at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Our commitment to covering the environment remains central to our mission of delivering deep reporting on issues that impact lives. Of course, these hires are possible only because of you. Last month, we completed our fundraising campaign for North Texas Giving Day, and we’re thrilled to share that not only did we meet our $20,000 goal and unlock an additional $21,000 in matching gifts, but we far exceeded our initial target.Readers like you showed up to support independent local news in record numbers, more than we’ve ever seen for North Texas Giving Day, helping us raise more than $40,000. That’s thousands of dollars going directly toward supporting the independent local journalism that informs and strengthens our community.Here is more on our new — and familiar — faces:Scott Nishimura, senior editor/Documenters and general assignment reporterScott Nishimura is a familiar name on Fort Worth’s journalism scene, with decades of experience reporting and editing for major local publications, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Business Press as well as Fort Worth, Fort Worth Inc. and 360West magazines.Scott’s deep connection to the city goes beyond journalism. He and his family are small business owners and active members of the community. For the past decade, Scott has volunteered as a reading tutor in Fort Worth ISD, exemplifying his commitment to giving back to the city. He and his wife Julie live in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.At the Fort Worth Report, Scott will lead the new Documenters program, an innovative citizen journalism initiative that trains residents to attend and document public meetings. This program will enhance local government coverage and promote civic engagement, transparency and accountability. Scott will also take on other stories as a general assignment reporter.With his vast experience and deep local ties, Scott is dedicated to empowering Fort Worth residents by fostering a more informed and engaged community.Reporter Shomial Ahmad interviews a Texas A&M University program director on Sept. 27, 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Shomial Ahmad, higher education reporterShomial Ahmad joined the Report as its first higher education reporter in April as part of a partnership with the nonprofit news outlet Open Campus. In her first six months, Ahmad’s stories have ranged from coverage of the University of Texas at Arlington’s expansion into Parker County to Texas A&M’s growing presence in downtown Fort Worth and Tarleton State’s vision for its campus in Crowley.Her career has included a decade of covering higher education issues at the City University of New York, where she reported on health and safety issues and state and city funding for the 25-college system.Before that, she was a reporter at NPR member stations in Atlanta and Houston. Her series reporting on a controversial state immigration law in Georgia won best series reporting from the Georgia Associated Press Broadcast Awards.She grew up in Fort Worth, where she was editor of the North Side High School yearbook, Lasso, and William James Middle School’s newspaper, Bear Facts. She earned her bachelor’s from the University of Texas at Austin and her master’s from New York University. When she’s not out reporting, she’s exploring the Trinity Trails and Fort Worth playgrounds with her son.Reporter Cecilia Lenzen interviews TCU professor Alexandra Edwards, on Aug. 15, 2024, at Trinity Park. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Cecilia Lenzen, government accountability reporterCecilia Lenzen joined the Report in April as a government accountability reporter, marking her return to the organization after working as a reporting fellow in 2021. Prior to the Report, she covered restaurant news for CultureMap’s Dallas and Fort Worth websites and local government in east Dallas for Community Impact after holding freelance gigs around North Texas. In her time at the Report, Lenzen has reported on everything from Fort Worth’s decision to do away with a ban on discriminatory events at city facilities to City Council division over proclamations and a newly created LGBTQ advisory committee. For Lenzen, the role of government accountability reporter is an opportunity to dig deeper into policies and decisions that affect the residents of Fort Worth. A new Fort Worthian, she is eager to wade into complex and sometimes controversial topics in an effort to better understand the city, its leaders and how Cowtown operates. Lenzen grew up in North Texas and holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Arlington. When she’s not attending public meetings and interviewing city officials, she enjoys reading and telling everyone about her dog, a chocolate labrador named Ferguson.Reporter Eric Garcia listens during a meeting in the Historic Southside in September 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)Eric E. Garcia, senior business reporterEric E. Garcia joined the Fort Worth Report as a senior business reporter in June. His coverage has ranged from conflicts over a proposed high-speed rail line connecting North Texas to the latest developments in Tarrant County’s housing, aviation and defense industries. Garcia, who started his career at the Dallas Times Herald, was an assistant metro editor at the Dallas Morning News, where he worked for 17 years.More recently, Garcia was city editor of the Temple Daily Telegram for nearly nine years, where he led his team to numerous journalism awards, including Newsroom of the Year and Best Online Newspaper, among others. His work has also appeared in numerous newspapers across the country, including the Killeen Daily Herald and the now-defunct Arlington Morning News. His journalism awards include Star Breaking News Report of the Year (three times); Star Reporter of the Year (editor); Star Investigative Report of the Year as well as awards in community service, team effort, deadline writing, business writing and column writing.He also won the 2022 Charles E. Green Award for Star Breaking News Report of the Year from the Headliners Foundation of Texas. He serves on the board of directors for Texas Managing Editors.Nicole Lopez, environment reporterNicole Lopez comes to us from her role as a breaking news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she balanced the fast pace of daily news with in-depth accountability and enterprise journalism.A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, Nicole’s multimedia journalism background enables her to bring stories to life across various platforms, from written articles to video and audio content.As the Fort Worth Report’s new environment reporter, Nicole is eager to cover critical environmental issues in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas, especially in underserved communities. She is passionate about breaking down complex topics and providing readers with the knowledge they need to understand their community’s impact on the world around them.For Nicole, this role is an opportunity to make a lasting difference in North Texas by informing residents about the environmental challenges we face and offering insights into solutions.Chris Cobler is the CEO and publisher of the Fort Worth Report. He may be reached at chris.cobler@fortworthreport.org.

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