PRINCETON, N.J. — The Dow Jones News Fund announced a 2020 operating budget of $547,000 that supports journalism programs designed to help emerging journalists launch their careers and to increase diversity in American newsrooms.
The News Fund will place 80 college students in paid, professional internships this summer in digital media, data journalism, business reporting and multiplatform editing. Interns will be able to apply for financial assistance from the Intern Assistance Fund, established by alumni to help interns afford transportation, meals and housing during their internships.
The Fund is changing its digital media program for historically black colleges and universities to focus on students rather than professors. Florida A&M University will host the inaugural Dow Jones News Fund HBCU Digital Media Institute in May. Additionally, the Digital Media Academy at the University of Texas, El Paso, will include students as well as professors from Hispanic-serving institutions.
With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the News Fund will support its 52nd season of summer journalism workshops for teenagers to learn journalism skills, digital tools and storytelling techniques, while reporting on health and wellness topics impacting youth today.
Richard J. Levine, president of the News Fund, said, “With much of the news business, most especially local and regional newspapers, facing immense financial and newsroom challenges, the work of the News Fund has never been more critical.”
“This program year reflects our effort to adapt to the needs we see as the industry changes, students face greater financial pressures and educators require more in-service training,” said Linda Shockley, managing director.
COLLEGE PROGRAMS – $445,500
The News Fund plans to train 80 interns to work as digital and data journalists, multiplatform editors and business reporters. The budget also covers intern travel, operating costs and $1,500 scholarships. In addition, the Fund will purchase memberships in professional journalists’ organizations for interns, support on-site visits to interns, and award needs-based financial assistance through the Intern Assistance Fund.
David Herzog, a University of Missouri professor and instructor for Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), will run the data journalism training program with Charles Minshew, IRE director of data services and 2012 DJNF alumnus.
Digital media interns will be trained at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, led by Michael Wong, director of career services.
The multiplatform news editing programs will be held at Temple University, Philadelphia, directed by Dr. Edward Trayes, and the University of Texas at Austin, directed by Beth Butler, assistant professor at Kent State University, and Dr. Bradley Wilson, associate professor at Midwestern State University.
Paul Glader, an associate professor and the director of the McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute at The King’s College in New York, will lead the Fund’s business reporting and American City Business Journals’ reporting programs at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. For the sixth consecutive year, ACBJ will fund training for 10 interns assigned to its newspapers.
The News Fund will also pay registration fees for local college sophomores, juniors and seniors to attend professional media conferences, offering exposure to skills workshops, career fairs and networking with journalists.
The Fund will finance a week-long summer multimedia academy for college professors and students from Hispanic-serving institutions at the University of Texas, El Paso. Kate Gannon, assistant professor and digital content manager of Borderzine.com, will train reporting teams made up of students and professors effective multimedia storytelling techniques while creating a multimedia journalism web project.
Florida A&M University will host the first HBCU Digital Media Institute for 15 sophomores and juniors from historically black colleges and universities. Professor Francine Huff, the Knight Chair for Student Achievement at FAMU, will lead a week-long program focused on the latest newsgathering software and storytelling techniques including podcasting, website design, videography, social media management, data visualization and coding. The institute is boosted by trainers funded by Google News Labs and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Google News Tools. Students can apply here by March 6.
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS – $71,500
The summer high school journalism program will support up to 10 workshops to train students how to report on, write about and disseminate important health-related stories. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded $50,000 to this initiative highlighting student and community engagement. The Fund is accepting proposals until March 6. Email heather.taylor@dowjones.com to request guidelines and a link to apply.
The Fund will award up to $10,000 in scholarships for the best reporting, data journalism, overall health reporting, photography and video produced during the workshops.
The Fund will also support the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year awards program sponsored by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES – $30,000
The Fund is investing resources in alumni engagement and mentorship. The goal is to build a more robust alumni network, sustain the Intern Assistance Fund, host more alumni mixers and provide mentoring for emerging journalists and recent graduates.
Other general operating expenses include marketing, special events and conferences.
