Yalonda James
Memphis, TN, USA
Yalonda "Yoshi" James is a multi-award winning staff photojournalist and video producer at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, TN. She joined the 175-year-old newspaper in 2013, where her passion has been documenting stories focusing on Human Rights and Civil Rights issues.
Before joining the CA, James worked for The Charlotte Observer covering stories ranging from presidential campaign trails to homelessness in the Charlotte region. During her tenure at the CO, James was a 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist with her Observer team for a project called, 'Sold a Nightmare,' which earned them a second place Gold Medal for Public Service. 'Sold a Nightmare,' was about Southern Chase, a new subdivision for Beazer, an experiment in selling low-cost homes to low-income families. The strategy was a financial success for Beazer. But the neighborhood fell apart. Seventy-seven buyers had lost homes to foreclosure in Southern Chase, a subdivision of 406 homes.
James is a 2001 Mass Communications graduate from the University of South Carolina (Upstate), where she won Gold and Bronze medals from College Photographer of the Year, 1998. She is also a 2008 Interactive Media Design graduate from The Art Institute of Charlotte, being selected into the Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society during the '08 election.
James’s photography and videos have been published in The Commercial Appeal, The Charlotte Observer, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, MSNBC, Fusion, Education Week, St. Petersburg Times, The State (Columbia, SC), The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Post & Courier, South Carolina: 24/7, and The Bridge Builder's and Charleston's Grand New Span. In addition, James has worked on the set of FOX drama, Sleepy Hollow, and on assignment for the Associated Press.
- Audio capture
- Breaking news
- Corporate
- Editorial
- Entertainment
- Food
- Interview
- Portrait
- Video capture
- Video editing