The Scripps Howard Foundation, in support of causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company and the communities it serves, has awarded a total of $600,000 to the University of North Texas and Elon University. The colleges were selected following a competitive application process last summer. Each institution will each receive $100,000 a year each year for three years to inspire high school students to embark on future careers in the journalism industry.
“We are partnering with these esteemed institutions to create real-world opportunities for youth that foster an interest in journalism and open pathways to higher education,” said Scripps Howard Foundation President and CEO Liz Carter. “We believe these programs will play an important role in building a future industry that better reflects the makeup of our diverse communities.”
The Mayborn School of Journalism at University of North Texas in Denton, Texas and Elon University in North Carolina will use the grant to help establish the Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists Program at their respective universities, serving high school students and teachers of diverse socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds. The program is funded through a generous gift from Eli and Jaclynn Scripps and Jonathan and Brooke Scripps.
“By supporting the Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists program, we aim to build equitable opportunities for young people from underrepresented communities to be heard, seen and understood,” Eli Scripps said on behalf of the Scripps family. “We believe the more inclusive we can make newsrooms, the greater the benefit to society.”
The program consists of three parts, with a focus on providing hands-on journalism experience: exposure through virtual education opportunities, immersion through experiential learning workshops, and mentoring and production via a network of professional journalists. During each year of the three-year program, selected students will also be given opportunities to participate in career boot camps as well as paid internships at different news organizations.
“This opportunity aligns perfectly with our vital mission of helping to pave the way to a more diverse and inclusive world of journalism and communication in the years ahead,” said Dr. Andrea Miller, dean of Mayborn School of Journalism. “As a majority-minority and Hispanic-Serving Institution, we’re excited to partner with the Scripps Howard Foundation to provide a real pathway forward.”
“The power of journalism is telling stories that need to be told, shared and understood,” said Rochelle Ford, dean of Elon’s School of Communications. “Through the Scripps Howard Emerging Journalists Program at Elon, we plan to educate aspiring journalists on how to wield that power.”
The Foundation and its parent company, Scripps, have committed to increasing diversity in journalism through a variety of programs, with a special emphasis on journalism education, excellence in journalism and childhood literacy. In support of its mission to create a better-informed world, the Foundation also partners with Scripps brands to create awareness of local issues and support impactful organizations to drive solutions that help build thriving communities.
