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Now accepting applications for our HBCU Student Journalism Network

Now accepting applications for our HBCU Student Journalism Network

Kayleigh Skinner
July 01, 2024

HBCU Student Journalism Network fellows and editors on a zoom call last fall.

It’s that time again: We are currently seeking applicants to join our fall cohort of the Open Campus HBCU Student Journalism Network. If you can think of anyone who might benefit in this program or be interested, please forward this email. Some key facts:

This is a paid, remote fellowship. Six fellows will be selected for the fall semester and earn $1,200 a month to report stories on HBCU campuses.
This is part-time. We recognize that students have a lot on their plates and so for this program, we expect 10-15 hours of work a week.
Fellows must be a current student at an HBCU. Recent graduates will not be considered.
The deadline to apply is July 31 at midnight EST.
The program runs from Aug. 26, 2024 to Dec. 13, 2024.

Here is some feedback from our most recent group:

“I didn't realize how necessary it is to have a more experienced journalist pour into you.” - Skyler Winston, Howard University

“This (journalism) has been something I saw myself doing for a long time but due to not having any experience, I knew nothing until this fellowship. It has made me respect journalism as a profession and the amazing and HARD work that is put behind it to deliver news to the public.” - Adebola Aderibigbe, Stillman College

You can learn more about the program here. We also answer some commonly-asked questions at this link.

A snapshot from the spring cohort

Here are a few stories our spring cohort published since the last time this newsletter went out:

If you’re reading this newsletter, then you know what an HBCU is. But what about an HBCC? Skyler Winston reported on historically Black community colleges, which have their own history which predates the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Richard Brown explained the wild turn of events that took place with Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees earlier this year, when the state Legislature stripped the entire board.

“The email came through about five minutes into the meeting and at that point, we continued the interview, but we were no longer trustees.”

~ Shaun Wimberly Jr., TSU's former student trustee, speaking to Open Campus.

As the Howard Hilltop student newspaper celebrates its centennial this year, Kylar Gray spoke with current and former reporters who reflected on its impact on student journalism and Black media.

You can read more of our fellows’ work here.

Making connections

In addition to telling great stories about HBCUs, our fellowship has two main goals: training fellows to be better journalists and connecting them to professionals around the country. A consistent piece of feedback from previous groups is that networking is one of the most valuable parts of this program, and they really appreciate the opportunity to connect with industry professionals.

Are you interested in speaking to a future group of fellows? Please email us at [email protected].

Support our work

We hope to grow this program and deepen the training we offer students at HBCUs. Please consider supporting our work.

Thanks for reading!

Reach out to us at [email protected].

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