Cerise Castle facts for kids

Cerise Castle is an American journalist. She is known for her important investigative work. She has received awards for her reporting. These include the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award. She also won the American Mosaic Journalism Prize. These awards were for her series about groups within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Cerise Castle's Journalism Career

Cerise Castle started her career in journalism. She worked as a producer for Vice News Tonight. In 2020, she joined KCRW as a producer.

Reporting on Protests

In May 2020, Cerise Castle was reporting on a protest in Los Angeles. During this event, she was hit by a rubber bullet. This happened while she was covering the protest.

Investigating Deputy Groups

While recovering, Castle spent six months researching. She investigated the history of certain groups within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD). These groups are sometimes called "deputy gangs."

In February 2021, Castle left her job at KCRW. She shared that she had faced some challenges during her time there.

Publishing Important Reports

In March 2021, she published her series about the LACSD groups. The series was called "A Tradition of Violence: The History of Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department." It was published in Knock LA. Her reports suggested that several such groups were active. They also claimed that these groups were linked to the deaths of 19 men of color.

One month after her series came out, Castle was held at a press conference. This happened while she was reporting on an LACSD event. About a year later, the city's civilian oversight board started an investigation. This investigation looked into the deputy groups. Cerise Castle also faced surveillance because of her reporting. She also received threats for her work.

Awards and Recognition

In 2022, Cerise Castle received the American Journalism Online Award. This was for her excellent use of public records. She also won the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award for her series. In 2023, she was given the American Mosaic Journalism Prize. This award honors freelance journalists for their important work.

Freelance Work and New Roles

Castle has worked as a freelance journalist for many publications. These include the Daily Beast, the Los Angeles Times, and LA Magazine. She also contributed to several podcasts. Her freelance reporting helped reveal a story about the Citizen app. This app had wrongly identified a person as a suspect.

Her reporting has been mentioned by other news outlets. These include Newsweek, LA Weekly, and The Ringer. In February 2023, it was announced that Castle had signed with CAA. In March 2024, she became a staff writer for Capital & Main. This is a nonprofit publication based in California.

Cerise Castle's Early Life

Cerise Castle grew up in southern California. In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles. This was after she finished her bachelor's degree at Emerson College. She moved to Los Angeles to start her career as a freelance reporter.

Awards and Honors

2022 Awards

• International Women's Media Foundation, Courage in Journalism Award
• American Journalism Online Award for Best Use of Public Records

2023 Awards

• American Mosaic Journalism Prize