ProPublica put out a call for young journalists of color to apply to its “Emerging Reporters Program” on Monday. The program will offer a stipend of $4,500 per semester, mentorship and a week at its New York newsroom to five college students “who work or want to work at college journalism outlets – newspapers, websites, radio stations or TV stations. We want to make college journalism accessible to students for whom it would otherwise be economically out of reach,” ProPublica reports.
ProPublica’s mission is to shine a light on abuses of power, producing stories of moral force that provoke change. There are currently few minority reporters who specialize in investigations. Without more such voices, visions and points of view, there is every reason to believe that important stories are being overlooked.
In October, BuzzFeed and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism created an investigative fellowship for journalists of color:
Basically, BuzzFeed is starting to create their own pool, (Ben) Smith said, offering great reporters a shot that many newspapers in the industry can’t.
“When there isn’t a pipeline that we’re totally happy with, we’re committed to trying to help create one.”
The first person to receive that fellowship was Melissa Segura.
