Deborah Shelton

I fell in love with journalism because it can inspire positive change.

My journalism career spans print, online and broadcast news: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, NBC, CBS, The Chicago Reporter and American Medical News, where I covered policy, prevention and treatment issues for physicians.

My Kaiser Family Foundation fellowship while at the Post-Dispatch produced a multi-award-winning newspaper series and award-winning CNN documentary that I co-reported and co-produced. After serving as the Post-Dispatch's public health reporter, I joined the paper's editorial board to write about social justice issues.

I was a health reporter on the Chicago Tribune's investigative/consumer watchdog team, and I later wrote and edited stories about race, poverty and income inequality in housing, economic development and the criminal justice system as managing editor of The Chicago Reporter. I began my career working for City News Bureau of Chicago, the legendary wire service and journalism boot camp.

Professional recognition includes: 1st place award for enterprise reporting from Illinois Press Association; two Chicago Tribune Beck Awards for outstanding performance; and a National Headliner Award for Public Service Reporting. I was a finalist with reporters from The New York Times Magazine and NPR for the 2016 Urban Health Journalism Prize awarded by the New York Academy of Medicine (won by The Atlantic).

I continue my love affair with the beauty and power of the written word as a freelance writer.