This year has shown us how essential visual documentation is to preserving transparency and public accountability. It is one of the most effective forms of protection of our democracy.

At CatchLight, we support visual journalists and newsrooms who work closely with the people and places they document, often over many years. CatchLight Fellows are rooted in their communities before breaking news happens, and they remain there long after the national news cycle has moved on; their work documents not only moments of heightened attention but the longer arc of change, providing context, continuity, and a visual public record.

Through our Global and Local Fellowship programs, CatchLight is transforming the local visual news ecosystem by providing visual journalists with the training, editorial guidance, and resources needed to report responsibly and safely, often at great personal risk.

The CatchLight Benefit is a fundraising effort to sustain this work across both programs.

CatchLight Benefit 2026

Supporting CatchLight’s Global and Local Fellowship programs