The 19th is proud to announce today the addition of two new colleagues to our team: Photo Editor Lydia Chebbine and Caregiving Reporter Sara Luterman.

Lydia is a rising star in the photojournalism world, where she’s been crafting daily visual coverage at U.S. News & World Report since 2016. Her work has been recognized by the National Press Photographers Association. 

Lydia is passionate about visual storytelling and believes it has the power to level social hierarchies. She has spearheaded efforts to implement regular use of inclusive imagery at U.S. News, and will now bring those talents, along with her background in critical and visual studies, to The 19th’s ever-expanding coverage. Lydia is based in Washington, D.C., and you can follow her on instagram at @lydiache. She starts September 7.

Sara has dedicated her career to covering caregiving — and in particular the ways it intersects with issues around disability. Prior to The 19th, she worked as a freelancer covering disability policy, politics and culture for publications including The Nation, The American Prospect and Vox. 

Sara is a recipient of the 2019 Harriet McBryde Johnson Award for Nonfiction for her work for The Washington Post and Slate. Her reporting in The Nation was shortlisted for the 2021 Deadline Club Mosaic Award, which recognizes excellence in “coverage of disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, social justice, equity and inclusion.” Most recently, Sara became a contributing editor for Radiolab. Sara is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and you can follow her on twitter at @slooterman. She starts September 9. 

Please join us in welcoming these extraordinary additions to The 19th team.