Poynter and NABJ Develop Digital Leadership Program
News Digital Leadership Program, digital media, NABJ, Poynter InstitutePoynter and National Association of Black Journalists Partner to Develop New Digital Leadership Program
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 29, 2016) – The Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists will partner to create a transformational leadership program for journalists of color working in digital media.
This intensive, tuition-free program will address the unique issues journalists of color face on the path to leadership in digital journalism and technology organizations. It combines the efforts of the global leader in journalism education, The Poynter Institute, and the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, NABJ, to promote diversity in newsrooms and create cutting-edge opportunities for career development.
“Our partnership with The Poynter Institute is an exciting opportunity to expand the pool of minority leaders in the digital journalism space. It is another extension of NABJ advocacy efforts in that members will receive valuable leadership training to better position them for management positions in media operations,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “We look forward to this collaborative effort with an organization with such a stellar reputation among journalists worldwide.”
The Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Journalism, to be offered in November at the Poynter campus in St. Petersburg, Florida, will include guidance on navigating newsroom culture, leadership styles, the business of journalism and entrepreneurship, as well as networking and one-on-one coaching. Poynter and NABJ will collaborate closely to build an interactive, agile curriculum for the next generation of leaders. Applications will be accepted starting this summer.
“Poynter and NABJ both are committed to providing journalists of color the training and mentoring that they need to succeed in news leadership positions,” Poynter President Tim Franklin said. “As digital news operations continue to grow in size and importance, it’s vital that we provide minority journalists with the leadership tools that they need. This academy will help do that. More diverse leadership ultimately means more diverse staffs, content and audiences. We’re honored to be working with NABJ on this much-needed initiative.”
Poynter and NABJ are seeking seed funding from media and technology companies, foundations and academic institutions to keep this transformative learning experience tuition-free.
For more information on providing financial support, please contact Elisa Jackson, executive director of the Poynter Foundation, at ejackson@poynter.org or NABJ executive consultant Drew Berry at drewnabj@gmail.com.
About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world’s largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute’s website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world’s top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.
About The National Association of Black Journalists
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.nabj.org.
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