Pat Nabong is a documentary photographer, videographer, and journalist based in Chicago who is dedicated to challenging stereotypes and bridging gaps through visual storytelling. Through photos and videos, she explores the intersections of culture, identity, and social justice issues. As an independent visual journalist, she has produced photo essays, videos, and articles from the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and the US. Her work has appeared in Chicago Magazine, Chicago Reader, Belt Magazine, WBEZ Chicago, Narratively, The Chicago Sun-Times, Rappler, Balitang America, and American Documentary Film Festival, among others. In the past, she worked as the arts and culture editor of The Real Chi, a community newsroom on Chicago’s West Side. She completed fellowships with City Bureau and The Medill Justice Project, and a student fellowship with the Pulitzer Center. She is currently a Gwen Ifill fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation.
She has received awards including a Peter Lisagor for Best Photography in 2018, a Green Eye Shade Award for online video in 2019, the Harrington Award for Videography and a Crystal Pillar for College Student Production from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences – Chicago/Midwest Chapter. She was a finalist for Amnesty International’s U.S. Media Award for Student Journalism and a nominee for the Joop Swart Masterclass. She earned her master’s in journalism at Northwestern University and is a member of Authority Collective, the Video Consortium and The Visual Desk.
She is also passionate about teaching and mentoring youth. She led several workshops in the Philippines and the US, worked as a photography instructor at St. Paul College Pasig, and mentored young journalists.