Lauren M. Whaley

JAWS president Lauren M. Whaley is a multimedia journalist who produces radio stories, photographs, video and audio stories for the CHCF Center for Health Reporting and its partner organizations.

She covers a broad range of topics including mental illness, children’s access to care, community health centers and the Affordable Care Act. She has contributed to Southern California Public Radio, KQED Public Radio, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among others. While living in Jackson, Wyoming, she worked as a newspaper reporter, blog editor and freelance magazine writer. She earned her master’s degree in specialized science journalism from the University of Southern California, her bachelor’s from Bowdoin College and spent summers in her early 20s taking high school girls on Arctic canoe expeditions.

Longtime JAWdess KC Cole recommended Whaley attend JAWS CAMP in 2010. She was a fellow that year and was hooked. “I finally found the community I didn’t know I was lonely for,” Whaley said.

She’s currently trying to Do it All in Los Angeles with her husband and baby son. She is honored to work on increasing the diversity of JAWS through a new diversity committee, building up the mentorship program beyond CAMP and continuing to bring our members training and programming through more regional events. She is also excited about the less sexy side of JAWS: upgrading our systems to run the organization more efficiently. She is honored to be the JAWS president and welcomes any and all suggestions for how to best serve our membership and continue to promote, honor and connect women journalists!

“The women of JAWS are my heroes, mentors, peers and confidants. This community gives me the courage to keep pursuing journalism as a profession. JAWS women are badass, brilliant and accessible. I am forever grateful that they have welcomed me into their ranks.”