These 27 executives will begin the yearlong program, recognized for its unique tools, coaching support and interconnected alumni network, on Jan. 10.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 6, 2022) — The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, fact-checking and media literacy education, is pleased to announce the 27 senior executives selected for the 2022 Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) Program: A Poynter Institute Executive Fellowship.

Since 2007, more than 300 senior media executives have realized critical performance results, built lifelong career skills and relationships, and made major contributions to industry transformation through this yearlong program (known industrywide as the original Punch Sulzberger Program at Columbia, led by Doug Smith through 2018).

RELATED TRAINING: Apply for the 2023 MTC program by Dec. 2, 2022.

The 2022 Fellows represent some of the biggest media brands in the world, including The Associated Press, The Atlantic, ABC News, BBC, CNN, GBH News, NPR, Reuters and Southern California Public Radio, as well as leading-edge nonprofit news organizations testing new audience approaches and business models. Incoming Fellows will learn and apply MTC’s well-known tools of performance-driven change, have yearlong access to a full slate of diverse executive coaches (including a personal coach), and connect with a world-class set of former Fellows since 2007 who share common language and program experiences.  

Fellows will begin the MTC program remotely on Jan. 10, 2022, under the leadership of executive director Charlie Baum, joined by coaches Quentin Hope, Karen Gordon, Robyn Tomlin, Amanda Barrett, Stephane Mayoux and Lauren Gustus.

“I’m deeply grateful for this very diverse, talented incoming class, and we’re excited to begin a new set of MTC journeys,” said Baum. “Thank you to all the program alumni and supporters who helped bring together this particular group of Fellows.”

Several Fellows are supported through the generosity of the Google News Initiative, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the American Journalism Project. 

Poynter welcomes the 2022 MTC Fellows: 

About the Media Transformation Challenge Program

The Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) Program: A Poynter Institute Executive Fellowship is a yearlong fellowship and leadership program designed for senior news executives. Fellows identify and pursue the most significant business performance challenge they face and deliver real results with help from MTC’s trademark tools, concepts, coaches, peer group, and alumni network. This program has over 300 active alumni with strong ties to the program leadership and coaches. 

MTC began as the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program at Columbia in 2006-07 under the direction of program architect Douglas K. Smith. Since January 2020, Poynter has been home to this program, and Charlie Baum has been the executive director. A different program in leadership, network and methodology now operates under the Sulzberger name at Columbia. 

The coaches for the 2022 MTC program include longtime coaches Karen Gordon and Quentin Hope, as well as Stéphane Mayoux, Robyn Tomlin, Amanda Barrett and Lauren Gustus.

About The Poynter Institute

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st-century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at newsrooms, conferences and organizations around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, offers the world’s largest online journalism curriculum, with hundreds of interactive courses and tens of thousands of registered international users. The Institute’s website produces 24-hour coverage about media, ethics, technology and the business of news. Poynter is the home of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact, the International Fact-Checking Network and MediaWise, a digital information literacy project for young people, first-time voters and senior citizens. The world’s top journalists and media innovators rely on Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcasters. This work builds public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and discourse that serves democracy and the public good. Learn more at poynter.org.

Media Contact:

Tina Dyakon
Director of Marketing
The Poynter Institute
tdyakon@poynter.org
727-553-4343