The Long Beach Post is among 37 newsrooms across the state that’s been selected to host a fellow as part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a taxpayer-funded initiative to bolster the ranks of reporters across the state.

The Post, which has the largest newsroom serving Long Beach, has hired Maison Tran, who has worked for National Public Radio and has experience in audio and video journalism. A graduate of UC Irvine, Tran is experienced in video editing, documentary filmmaking and narrative storytelling.

Tran, who starts on Sept. 11, will eventually be focused on covering health disparities in Long Beach. The fellowship lasts for two years.

The competitive application process included 90 applications from newsrooms and about 170 applications from potential fellows.

The statewide fellowship program, which will include three cohorts over the next three years, is being administered by UC Berkeley. It includes $25 million in funding provided through state legislation spearheaded by Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Antioch, and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.

Glazer said the program will serve as a model for how other states can support local community news.

“News and information that’s useful to our communities and neighbors is the building block for a vibrant democracy,” Glazer said in a statement. “This program will help strengthen local newsrooms of all kinds to better serve their audiences, telling stories that matter.”

The fellowship program is guided by a 17-person advisory board that represents the state’s newsrooms and journalism education institutions.

Christa Scharfenberg, project director of the fellowship program, said the fellowship program will provide the selected journalists with hands-on newsroom experience. The fellows will also receive training and mentorship from industry professionals throughout the program.

“At a time when the journalism industry is facing a variety of existential threats, from polarization and lack of trust in news to profound business model failures, our aim is to be a bright spot, filling critical gaps in reporting and creating a viable career path for the next generation of journalists,” Scharfenberg said in a statement.

Other Southern California newsrooms selected include the Los Angeles Times, La Opinión and the Orange County Register.