Marissa Weekes Mason is a photojournalist from California who loves connecting to people and places through her photography.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Photojournalism from Howard University.

Marissa is the first woman staff photographer in its over 140-year legacy at The Philadelphia Tribune, the nation’s oldest, continuously published newspaper reflecting the experiences and perspectives of the African diaspora.  During her tenure at The Philadelphia Tribune, Marissa was awarded by the National Newspaper Publishers Association with Best News Picture and the W. A. Scott Best Use of Photographs award.  

Marissa is the former Director of Communications and Outreach and board secretary for International Surgical Health Initiative, a non profit organization providing free surgical health care to underserved communities.  In this role, Marissa wrote content for ISHI press releases, newsletters, surgical mission reports, and articles highlighting ISHI patients, volunteers, and their surgical mission experiences.  Additionally, Marissa managed all ISHI public relations by organizing interviews in print, radio, and broadcast with New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania media outlets.

Marissa is an inaugural Lenfest Institute for Journalism Next Generation Fund Winner which helped Philadelphia-area journalists with ensuring newsroom diversity and inclusion by creating initiatives in digital training, professional development, and entrepreneurship support. As a second time Lenfest Institute for Journalism Next Generation Fund Winner, Marissa was granted attendance to the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) national digital convention where she explored fair and accurate coverage of communities of color and digital equity in online learning environments. Marissa is also a a recipient of the Mother Jones Peer Fund Grant.

A Grant Writer and Poynter Institute Visual Journalism Fellow, Marissa is a member of the Pen & Pencil Club Philadelphia. Her photography has been featured in USA Today (Women Turn Motorcycle Industry On Its Heels), The Washington Post, and Temple University Magazine.  She has exhibited her photography in the African American Museum of Philadelphia, The McKenna Museum of African American Art in New Orleans, and the Rutgers University Hospital Beautification Project in Newark.

As a woman photojournalist of color, it’s Marissa’s vision to develop community-oriented workshops teaching underserved youth how to be the creators of images that tell their stories. Stay connected and follow her photography on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

"Which of my photographs is my favorite?  The one I'm going to take tomorrow."  

-Imogen Cunningham