Reducing gun violence in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, coping with the trauma of incarceration by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and building a hospitality worker unionization movement–these are the stories young and early-career journalists are sharing on the Change Agents podcast.

Award-winning producer Judith McCray leads the project, which pairs journalists with activists from the communities they’re covering. It’s work that connects to her own experiences as a Chicago journalist of color—and her efforts to nurture the next generation of diverse journalists as the Diversity Faculty Fellow at DePaul’s Center for Communication Engagement. McCray joins the podcast to talk about this unique reporting technique, training reporters to build relationships and trust, and the evolving discussion of objectivity in journalism.

Christmas from DePaul: A behind the scenes look at this year’s virtual event