Across industries, newsletters are all the rage — and for good reason. They’re reshaping the way publishers interact directly with audiences. New tactics illustrate their power to convert casual audiences into loyal readers.
The reality however, is that many of the latest strategies in newsletter development have not reached a generation of budding journalists from underserved communities, and at under-resourced institutions.
At Get Current Studio, we think deeply about methods of engaging audiences. We also recognize the importance of bringing audience-centered learning resources and skill development to underserved publishers and institutions in ways that empower them to meet the information needs of their communities.
The National Newspaper Publishers Association in collaboration with Get Current Studio have teamed up to create an HBCU-focused newsletter training program with support from the Facebook Journalism Project. The project runs two consecutive semesters that begins in early Fall 2021 and concludes in late Spring 2022.
The HBCU Newsletter Initiative is an effort to engage black college journalism departments and campus media in a new learning opportunity. Training is designed to guide a group of 20 or more HBCU Sophomores and Juniors from two or more universities through the process of newsletter development.
Students will learn the essentials of a great newsletter, the role newsletters play in audience development, and how to target specific segments that lead to audience engagement.
Faculty and administrative leaders of journalism schools, media studies departments and campus student media advisors at HBCUs are encouraged to apply.
Deadline Extended: Please apply by Friday September, 13 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Eligibility: This opportunity is open to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We welcome applications from journalism schools, mass communication and media studies departments and student-run media organizations creating campus news and information in any medium, such as print, radio, email, or the web.
Selected applicants will assemble a small student team and agree to participate in research, workshops, participate in cohort calls, execute audience research work, and share insights from the work, as mutually agreed upon, publicly.
Funding: The Facebook Journalism Project has supplied a grant to support involvement in the cohort. The program is free to all participants. Programming and the execution of projects comes at no cost to participants.
Have Questions? Questions may be sent to brittany@getcurrent.studio, or you can schedule time to speak with us here.
HBCU Newsletter Initiative Application
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