Cerise Castle facts for kids

Cerise Castle is an American journalist. She won important awards for her brave reporting. These awards include the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award. She also received the American Mosaic Journalism Prize. These honors were for her investigative series about groups of deputies. This series focused on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Cerise Castle's Career Journey

Early Work in Journalism

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

Reporting on Protests

In May 2020, Cerise was reporting on a protest. This protest was in Los Angeles. During her work, she was hurt by a rubber bullet. It was fired by the LAPD.

Investigating Deputy Groups

While recovering from her injury, Cerise began a big project. She spent six months researching. She looked into the history of certain groups. These groups were within the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD).

Leaving KCRW and New Reporting

In February 2021, Cerise left her job at KCRW. She shared that she had faced unfair treatment. In March 2021, she published her major report. It was called "A Tradition of Violence: The History of Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department." This report was published in Knock LA.

Her report said that several groups were active. It also mentioned serious allegations. One month after her report came out, Cerise was held at a press conference. This happened while she was reporting. A year later, the city's oversight board started an investigation. They looked into the deputy groups.

Awards for Her Work

In 2022, Cerise received two major awards. She won the American Journalism Online Award. This was for her excellent use of public records. She also received the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award. In 2023, she earned the American Mosaic Journalism Prize. This award celebrates the work of freelance journalists.

Freelance and New Roles

Cerise has worked as a freelance reporter. She has written for the Daily Beast and the Los Angeles Times. She also contributed to LA Magazine. Her reporting helped break a story. It was about the Citizen app incorrectly identifying a suspect. Her work has been mentioned by Newsweek and LA Weekly. In 2023, she signed with CAA. In March 2024, she became a staff writer. She joined Capital & Main, a nonprofit publication.

Facing Challenges

Cerise has faced challenges due to her reporting. She was targeted for surveillance. This was by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. She also received threats.

About Cerise Castle's Life

Growing Up and Education

Cerise Castle grew up in southern California. In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles. She had just finished her bachelor's degree. She studied at Emerson College. Her goal was to become a freelance reporter.

Awards and Recognition

2022 Achievements

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

2023 Achievements

• American Mosaic Journalism Prize

Works