A mortgage broker. A public school teacher. A retired elevator company employee. It's not likely that anyone would consider individuals in these jobs to be prospective journalists. Nevertheless, officials with the Freedom Forum's Diversity Institute last summer found three such individuals and several others, and trained them in an unique program…

Columbia has the Pulitzer Prize, Harvard has the Nieman and the University of Georgia has the Peabody award. Now North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University has the lofty goal of joining the ranks of the elite with a prestigious journalism institute and prize all its own. With a new home and plans to unveil an award for…

Presents an interview with William W. Sutton, Jr., outgoing president of the National Association of Black Journalists, about the declining number of minority journalists, educating students of color for journalism careers, and the challenges facing Black journalists in the newsroom. (EV)

As television and print news outlets increasingly form partnerships with each other to gain larger audiences, journalism educators are cross-training more students. At a growing number of journalism schools across the country students are not only learning a specific craft such as newspapering or TV broadcasting, but they're also getting…

Five years ago, Pearl Stewart, then a roving journalist for Freedom Forum, scoured the southern region of the United States to assess student newspapers at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to help them improve. To her dismay, Stewart found many student newspapers floundering under administrative red tape and budget cuts. She…

Reports on a 1998 survey of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) concerning their student newspapers. Finds that most student newspapers at HBCUs publish monthly and that the most frequently reported problems are funding and equipment. Suggests that black journalism students suffer from this regressive trend although there are some…

It is noted that although professional journalists often minimize the value of the journalism major, hiring patterns lean heavily toward graduates of journalism programs and toward students with experience in campus publications, radio, and television. Opportunities in the industry for minorities have steadily increased. (MSE)

Campus radio stations serve as an important training ground for student journalists, providing on-air training and providing students for newsroom work. Some journalism educators fear that limited range of campus news stories and program reductions limit these opportunities. Minority group students are encouraged to broaden job searches to off-air…

This article reports on the growth of blogs in popular culture, and the fact that they are becoming more widely accepted in the media industry. The rise and popularity of blogs--short for "Web logs"--are causing journalism educators to overhaul their teachings. In fact, blogging's influence varies from one university program to the next, just like…

College journalism faculty are characterized more by doctoral degrees than by professional experience in journalism. Some attribute this to a lack of male role models and unattractive faculty salaries. However, some colleges are actively seeking faculty with practical experience and creating a more culturally diverse faculty. (MSE)

A 1996 survey examined the ethnic distribution and employment trends of new journalists. Data included racial/ethnic group composition, by number and percentage, of 1993-94 bachelor's and master's degrees in communications, and specialties among bachelor's degrees, by number and percentage. Some narrative analysis is included. (MSE)

In an interview, Lawrence Kaggwa, developer of journalism programs at historically black colleges and founder of the Black College Communication Association, discusses the state of journalism education for black students, student attitudes, the value of student experience on campus newspapers, the journalism faculty member's role, and problems…