As part of its commitment to support equity, diversity and inclusion within the journalism industry, the Scripps Howard Foundation will award a total of $600,000 to institutions of higher education to enhance or create programs that will inspire high school students to embark on journalism careers.
The Foundation will host a competitive application process to select two institutions, which will each receive $100,000 a year over three years.
The Foundation, the philanthropic organization of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), is seeking to fund two programs that will:
- Introduce high school students of diverse socio-economic, racial and ethnic backgrounds to journalism through interactive programming and reporting experience
- Legitimize and amplify student voices by providing a platform to share their stories
- Create relationships and open educational pathways that potentially lead to careers in journalism
- Provide ongoing access to mentors and professional support in the field of journalism
- Bring together a community of organizations and individuals – including universities, news outlets and high schools – to support the development of program participants
The programs will be funded through a generous gift from Eli and Jaclynn Scripps and Jonathan and Brooke Scripps.
“Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion within the journalism industry is a priority of the Scripps Howard Foundation, its benefactors and its parent company, The E.W. Scripps Company,” said Scripps Howard Foundation President and CEO Liz Carter. “We know the industry has a long way to go toward hiring talent and editorial staff that reflects the make-up of its increasingly diverse audiences. We believe these programs, with their emphasis on mentorship and real-world reporting experience, are an important step toward that goal.”
The Foundation and its parent company, Scripps, have committed to increasing diversity in journalism through a variety of programs. More information about Scripps’ equity, diversity and inclusion approach can be found here.
The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is Sept. 15, 2020. The Foundation will review those responses and invite a select group to respond to a full Request for Proposals (RFP). The programs are expected to launch by the 2021-2022 academic year.
More information on how to submit a Letter of Intent can be found here.
