Do you live in Oakland and have a story to tell? The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is now accepting applications for Oakland Voices, a six-month program designed to empower Oakland residents through newswriting, photography, and community storytelling. The 2024 program is hybrid model, with both in-person meetings and virtual instruction via Zoom, plus a planned in-person graduation celebration. Correspondents will receive a $1,500 stipend for participation and completing assignments. No previous media experience required.

Applications are due by Sunday, April 14, at 11:59 PM PDT. Apply using this online form (Google account required). Select applicants will be invited for an interview. Interviews begin April 8.

Program Overview

• Oakland Voices correspondents will be expected to attend virtual meetings throughout the six-month program, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.
• Attend an in-person orientation at the beginning of the academy.
• Attend at least three in-person Saturday trainings, May – October.
• Complete six assignments and other activities and exercises.

Storytelling with a love for the Town

Many of our correspondents join Oakland Voices because they want to reshape common misperceptions of their communities, portraying them instead as dynamic places where real people struggle, succeed, and thrive. Our team members also join the program because they have a passion for telling stories — with the camera, and with the pen. Oakland Voices allows correspondents to explore both their sense of mission and their love for storytelling, while also acquiring skills they can take into their personal and professional lives.

Oakland Voices correspondents are trained in digital media storytelling — writing blogs and online pieces, taking photos, shooting video, and using social media to discuss issues that matter most in their communities. Correspondents also learn journalism ethics and editorial decision-making, interview basics, and story craft. They use those tools to report on a wide range of issues highlighting the triumphs and challenges of life in Oakland, including community heroes and heroines, health and wealth disparities, and more.

Application Requirements

Online applications must by submitted by Sunday, April 14, 2023, at 11:59 PM PDT. Applicants must be an Oakland resident over 18 years old with access to a stable internet connection via computer or mobile device in order to participate in virtual meetings. Students in their senior year of high school are eligible and unhoused residents, low-income, and community members of color are encouraged to apply. A Google account is necessary to access the online application form. Visit the Oakland Voices website to learn more about the program requirements and submit your application using this online form (Google account required).

Maynard Institute programs are open to all. The Institute is committed to addressing the under-representation of people of color and other historically disadvantaged groups in media-related professions. For questions about sponsoring an Oakland Voices correspondent or donating to the program, contact us to learn more.

2024 Program Dates

Intensives

• Friday, May 10 – Opening Dinner
• Saturday, May 11 – Orientation and Training #1
• Saturday, June 15 – Training #2
• Saturday, July 13 – Training #3
• Saturday, August 10 – Training #4*
• Saturday, September 14 – Training #5
• Saturday, October 12 – Training #6*

Bi-Weekly Learning Sessions

• Thursday, May 9, 6-8 p.m.*
• Thursday, May 23, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, June 13, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, June 27, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, July 11, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, July 25, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, August 8, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, August 22, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, September 12, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, September 26, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 10, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 24, 6-8 p.m.

Note: Attendance is optional May 9, August 10 and October 12.

History of Oakland Voices

Founded in 2010, Oakland Voices emerged from a partnership between the Oakland Tribune and The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Oakland Voices connects correspondents with more than a dozen media professionals to teach correspondents. Participants work individually and in teams, creating content for the Oakland Voices website. This content may also be published by program partners such as The Oaklandside or KALW Public Radio. The collaborative, applied learning approach means correspondents quickly become aware of their power and responsibility as storytellers, and as members of the media.

Staff and Alumni Correspondents

Rasheed Shabazz and Momo Chang serve as Co-directors of the Oakland Voices program. Martin Reynolds co-founded Oakland Voices and is co-executive director of the Maynard Institute. Evelyn Hsu is co-executive director of the Maynard Institute and contributes the training curriculum of the program.

Multiple cohorts of Oakland residents have completed the Oakland Voices program. Check out a summary listing of all the correspondents by project years since 2010.

The first training week of the 2024 in-person Maynard 200 Fellowship Program hosted by TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication, concluded with a call-to-action. This year’s cohort of 32 editors and managers from diverse backgrounds were encouraged by the Maynard Institute’s Board Chair John X. Miller to take their top three lessons from Maynard 200 workshops and apply them in their newsrooms. Fellows explored benefits of new editing toolkits, management frameworks and thought-provoking discussions with long-time leaders in the industry, while furthering the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism. This blog highlights key takeaways from faculty on editing, storytelling and community building, as well as testimonials from fellows who described their Maynard experience as transformational.

In the week’s concluding session, Maynard 200 Director Odette Alcazaren-Keeley lauded the fellows for their courageous conversations, including sharing direct experiences with barriers to a sense of their belonging in newsroom culture.

“We listened to each other with empathy and insight, which has been key to the success of our shared learning,” said Alcazaren-Keeley.

“Your voices on these issues are crucial as fellows…the totality of who you are is powerful. Continue to challenge ideas, challenge us, each other and yourselves. Know that alongside our Maynard 200 alumni, you represent the future of media. You have us now, as your newest community on the frontlines of this mini-movement especially amid ongoing upheaval, to dismantle systemic racism in our field.”

The Maynard Institute’s Director of Cultural Competency, Felecia D. Henderson serves as this year’s Maynard 200 Executive-in-Residence. Henderson and Alcazaren-Keeley worked together in crafting a high-impact, hands-on curriculum for the fellows that they could apply in their roles as editors and managers. Henderson said the 2024 curriculum is specifically aligned with what newsroom leaders are looking for in a professional development program because “frontline editors and managers are often thrust into crucial positions with little to no training.”

Fellows describe the first week of training as transformational

In addition to learning practical skills, another unique benefit of the Maynard 200 Fellowship professional development program is the opportunity fellows have to bond with a community of their peers. Some fellows shared heartfelt testimonials about their experiences in post-training surveys (shared below with permission).

The ability to meet so many curious, intelligent, and gracious journalists was a gift. I absolutely left the training both renewed and transformed.
Teri Henderson, Baltimore Beat, Arts & Culture Editor

The Maynard 200 fellowship offers key support to front-line managers. With editing, coaching and management training, fellows can walk away with new tools and language to better engage with their reporters and the newsroom.

Sabrina Bodon, The Sacramento Bee, Equity Lab Editor

The program was transformational. I feel inspired, energized, and more confident.

Carmen Castro-Pagan, Bloomberg Industry Group, Team Lead (Editor)

The Maynard faculty were incredibly helpful during the first week of training. Many of the techniques they shared throughout the week came with real world examples that made it easier to translate their guidance to our own work. Kristopher Hooks, The Boston Globe, Money, Power, Inequality Editor

This was the first time in my career where someone distilled the basics of editing – what to look for and what techniques to use. I finally have an editor toolbox that I can use everyday.
Fahmida Y Rashid, Dark Reading, Informa Tech, Managing Editor, Features

The first week of the Maynard 200 fellowship was extremely rewarding. It was refreshing and insightful to collaborate with such an esteemed group of journalists who are committed to their work! While all of the sessions were extraordinary, I found the editing sessions to be most beneficial. I walked away feeling empowered to utilize editing tips I learned.

Erica McIntosh, WNPR, CT Public, Sr. Regional Editor, Southern CT

I did not realize how much of this I was missing and needing until I went through this past week, and knowing there’s a community of folks I can reach out to is/will be invaluable.

Kai Teoh, Dallas Morning News, Data & Interactives Editor

Political journalism really struggles with diversity, so, on some basic level, I just feel energized being around talented journalists of color who are making it work in the bigger ecosystem of our profession. It was therapeutic to be around so many news nerds.

Darius Dixon, POLITICO; Deputy Managing Editor, Policy

Maynard 200 faculty and staff pictured (clockwise from top left): Michelle Johnson, Leslie Rangel, Merrill Perlman, Aaron Glantz, Delano Massey (seen on far right coaching fellow Matthew Vann), John X. Miller, Jean Marie Brown, Evelyn Hsu, Martin G. Reynolds, Felecia D. Henderson, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Cara Owsley, Steve Padilla, Tom Huang and Maria Carrillo.

Curriculum designed by industry leaders and rooted in real-world examples

“Fine-Tuning Your Story Pitch” and “Mounting and Managing the Big Project” with Aaron Glantz

Aaron Glantz is California Bureau Chief and Senior Editor at The Fuller Project, the global newsroom focused on women. A two-time Peabody Award winner and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, he is a seasoned manager of complex projects, who delivers excellence simultaneously across mediums and newsrooms so that stories land with maximum velocity. His work has sparked new laws, dozens of Congressional hearings, and investigations by the FBI, DEA, Pentagon inspector general, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary execution. A former foreign correspondent who worked as an unembedded journalist in Iraq, Glantz is the author of four books, among them 2019’s Homewreckers, which tracks hedge fund profiteering off the 2008 financial crisis.

Glantz presented two sessions “Fine-Tuning Your Story Pitch” and “Mounting and Managing the Big Project.” During his session on best practices for managing a big project, Glantz explained, “It’s really important that your big project be aligned with your newsroom’s mission.”

He advised fellows to become advocates for the big project. “Nobody advocates for your story as well as you do. You know your story. You know the stakeholders, you’re building relationships,” Glantz said.

“Some of you are at local outlets, you want to have a local story that’s going to speak to these greater, bigger themes. And when you really have a winner is when you can have a story that can hit in multiple metros at the same time…It’s so hard to cut through the fog, your reporting will cut through more if the stakes are high, if people can say this is an issue on my block, in my neighborhood, in my community.”

“AI: What You Need to Know” with Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson is an Emerita Associate Professor of the Practice in Journalism, Boston University. She retired from BU in 2022, where she taught a variety of courses focused on online journalism and multimedia storytelling. Johnson is a former editor for the Boston Globe and boston.com. She is currently an Expert in Residence with BU’s Spark! program, an experiential learning and innovation lab based in the Center for Computing and Data Science.

For more than 20 years, Johnson conducted multimedia training workshops for student and professional journalists for a variety of organizations, including the Online News Association, the Maynard Institute, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Association of LGBTQ Journalists.

Johnson hopes her presentation emboldens fellows with an understanding of “the potential and pitfalls of AI, and that this will prepare them to take part in conversations that will shape policies in their newsrooms and organizations going forward.”

“Improving Collaboration between Reporters and Photographers” with Cara Owsley

Cara Owsley is a national award-winning visual journalist/director of photography at The Cincinnati Enquirer. In 2018 The Cincinnati Enquirer won a Pulitzer Prize in the local reporting category. The story “Seven Days of Heroin” was recognized by the Pulitzer board “for a riveting and insightful narrative and video documenting seven days of greater Cincinnati’s heroin epidemic, revealing how the deadly addiction has ravaged families and communities.” Cara was a photojournalist and photo editor for the project.

Before working for The Enquirer, Cara was a staff photojournalist at The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Mississippi, and The Repository in Canton, Ohio. She has been in the industry for 28 years. Cara found her love of photojournalism while attending Western Kentucky University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in photojournalism.

Owsley stressed in her talk that the key ingredient in improving the collaborative work of reporters and photographers is communication. She explained: “involve the photo staff in the beginning stages, not after interviews…Work as a team and support each other.”

“Holistic Resilience and Finding Work-Life Harmony in Turbulent Times” with Leslie Rangel

Leslie Rangel is an Emmy-nominated and United Nations-recognized journalist, morning news anchor and author. Her journalism is community-focused at the intersection of equity and social injustice. She’s a 2023 recipient of the The Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship. She’s spent 12+ years working in newsrooms and is a certified yoga, mindset, meditation and life coach. Rangle is also the founder and CEO of The News Yogi Coaching, on a mission to cultivate soul centered spaces and conversations that allow high-achieving marginalized folks to feel seen and see themselves. She provides mental wellness and holistic leadership coaching to high-achieving humans, particularly those who are often the firsts in their family from a non-dominant culture.

Rangel’s keynote fittingly capped an insightful week, and she started by leading fellows and faculty in a grounding meditation. This pause was impactful, amid relentless demands of the news cycle, ongoing turbulence across media spaces, and also the globe.

She exhorted this next generation of news leaders to: “Remember to be a human first, journalist second. Normalize living sustainably in our industry and actually take action to rest. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to admit you’re not okay. It’s okay to prioritize yourself.”

“Finding the Heart of the Story” with Tom Huang

Tom Huang is Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he edits enterprise stories, oversees the newsroom’s internship program and leads the newsroom’s community-funded journalism initiative, which seeks philanthropic support of public service journalism.

Huang walked fellows through the 5 focusing questions that editors can ask to help guide reporters to find the heart of the story and become better storytellers. He says he “starts with questions that spark a writer’s imagination… I push the writer to think harder about the story’s theme…and try fresh approaches to storytelling,

According to Huang, these questions that he uses as an editor were developed by David Von Drehle and Chip Scanlan:

• Why does the story matter?
• What is the point of the story?
• Why are we telling the story now?
• What does the story say about life, the world and the times we live in?
• What is the story truly about – in one word?

“Coaching for Story” with Maria Carrillo

Maria Carrillo is a consultant and coach after spending 36 years in seven newsrooms. She was enterprise editor at the Tampa Bay Times and Houston Chronicle and, before that, managing editor at The Virginian-Pilot. She has edited dozens of award-winning projects, frequently lectures on narrative journalism and co-hosts a podcast (WriteLane) about craft.

Carrillo stressed that building trust and relationships based on mutual respect to each other’s expertise, is foundational in the effective partnership between editors and writers. Her session aimed to “grow editors’ confidence as coaches, and give them tools to help guide writers to tell better stories.”

“Editing for Tone” with Merrill Perlman

Merrill Perlman spent 25 years at The New York Times in jobs ranging from copy editor to director of copy desks, in charge of all 150-plus copy editors at The Times. Now, she coaches writers and editors in self-editing, grammar, language and clarity, where her clients have included the Poynter Institute, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Weather Channel, FoxNews, The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the U.N., as well as communications companies, corporations, law firms and foundations. She’s a freelance editor who has worked for such places as Center for Public Integrity, Investigative Reporting Workshop, ProPublica, Rosetta Books and Amazon Kindle Singles.

According to Perlman, it is imperative for “editors to make sure that each sentence and word is in service of the story. They also need to watch out for unintended bias in adjectives and labels.”

“Editing Techniques” with Steve Padilla

Steve Padilla is editor of Column One, the front-page showcase for storytelling at the Los Angeles Times. He joined the Times in 1987 as a night police reporter but soon moved on to editing. He helped guide the Times’ Pulitzer-winning coverage of a botched bank robbery in North Hollywood in 1997.

In his 36 years with the Times, he has edited a wide variety of subjects—national politics, higher education, California state news and religion among them. Before his current assignment, Padilla was enterprise editor on the foreign-national desk. He also served as director of Metpro, the Times’ training program designed to bring diversity to newsrooms.

Padilla summed up his talk with the hope that the fellows will remember that “when editing or coaching writers, positive direction, rather than negative, often produces good results—they’re longer lasting and the process is more fun, too.”

“Name it, Claim it and Aim it: Leveraging Your Strengths” with Jean Marie Brown

Jean Marie Brown is an associate professor of professional practice in the Department of Journalism at TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication. In addition to serving as a full-time faculty member, she is also director of student media.

A former newspaper executive, Jean Marie spent most of her professional career working for Knight Ridder and later, for McClatchy newspapers. She held management positions at The Fort
Worth Star- Telegram and The Charlotte Observer. Her management career included time as a deputy features editor, city editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor. She directed local news coverage for the Arlington and Northeast edition of the Star-Telegram. Her strengths as an editor were line editing, story idea generation and staff development.

The Gallup Strengths Assessment and 1:1 coaching sessions with fellows by Prof. Jean Marie Brown has been a pillar in the Maynard 200 curriculum since its pilot. In this pivotal process, she explains how we as leaders can name, claim and aim our strengths in order to leverage them – in work and relationships.

Brown encouraged fellows “to lean in and own who you are, make other people accept who you are…and to celebrate yourself for the things that you do really well.” She stressed that it is critical “to bring our authentic selves to our newsrooms.” She added “that in understanding our strengths and of our team members, you are able to recognize what you do best, and you let other people do what they do best.”

Fault Lines® with Professor Jean Marie Brown and Martin G. Reynolds

One of the Maynard Institute’s mainstay professional development offerings is a series of trainings for newsrooms based on the Fault Lines® methodology. Designed by founder and namesake Robert C. Maynard, the Fault Lines® framework helps newsrooms address bias along lines of race, gender, sexual orientation, generation, geography, class and more, as they apply to journalists, news coverage, newsroom collaborations and community engagement. This keynote session was co-led by Professor Jean Marie Brown and the Maynard Institute’s Co-Executive Director, Martin G. Reynolds.

Prior to joining the Maynard Institute leadership, Reynolds was senior editor for community engagement and training for Bay Area News Group and served as editor-in-chief of The Oakland Tribune between 2008-2011. His career with Bay Area News Group spanned 18 years. Reynolds was also a lead editor on the Chauncey Bailey Project, formed in 2007 to investigate the slaying of the former Oakland Post editor and Tribune reporter.

Reynolds is also co-founder of Oakland Voices, a hyperlocal storytelling project that trains residents to serve as community correspondents that first launched in 2010 as partnership between the Oakland Tribune and the Maynard Institute. He was named as Digital First Media’s Innovator of the Year for his work on Oakland Voices.

In his opening remarks at the 2024 Maynard 200 Fellowship session, Reynolds spoke about the challenging and vital role the 2024 Maynard 200 fellows play in their newsrooms.

“Here you are. Frontline editors, navigating it all. You have among the most challenging jobs in all of journalism. Sitting at the nexus of the community, the organization and the storytellers.”

He added, “This program is about equipping you with the skills, but perhaps even more importantly…this is about community so that you have what you need to be supported, to be seen, to be cared for as you move through this journey.”

Hands-on coaching and mentorship that makes a difference

Fellows benefited from hands-on breakout sessions that were customized to tactical coaching workshops relevant to editors across three primary platforms:

• print/digital led by Maria Carrillo and Steve Padilla
• photography led by Cara Owsley
• broadcast led by Delano Massey

Delano Massey, a Maynard Institute alum, has been serving as a Maynard 200 mentor for the last 2 years. In 2024, Massey served as the coach for the broadcasting breakout coaching sessions. He shared his multi-layered experience in this space, including the importance of creating and leveraging influence. He is currently managing editor for Local at Axios, overseeing operations across 30 markets. He was also the former supervising producer of the Race & Equality Team at CNN. His impact extends from major outlets like CNN and the Associated Press to local platforms like News 5 Cleveland, WKYT, and the Lexington-Herald Leader.

Coaches also held one-on-one office hours with fellows.

Reconvening in July thanks to generous supporters

Fellows and faculty alike expressed an eagerness to reconvene in a few months for the July weeklong training sessions. In addition to the generous university partner host TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication, the 2024 Maynard 200 Fellowship would not be possible without the support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Hearthland Foundation, McClatchy and individual donors.

This program is about strengthening newsroom leaders for a sustainable future in media. The cohort of 2024 marks a special milestone. When the fellowship program launched in 2018, the Maynard Institute set the goal to provide professional development to two hundred journalism professionals and the 2024 fellows have exceeded that goal.

During the March training, the Maynard Institute’s Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu shared the pivotal history that is part of the fellowship surpassing its mission, through the lens of the vision and legacy of the institute’s nine founders.

The next round of sessions in July will conclude with a special celebration to honor this achievement while acknowledging the marathon continues.

About the Maynard Institute

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in America’s newsrooms through our Maynard 200 fellowship program, which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired media entrepreneurs.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone fellowship program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

The 2024 Maynard 200 Fellows (clockwise from top left): Aaron Foley, Allison Jing Yang, Blanca Méndez, Carmen Castro-Pagán, Carolyn Copeland, Daarel Burnette II, Darius Dixon, Erica McIntosh, Estefania Mitre, Fahmida Rashid, Fernanda Santos, Heather J. Chin, Iftikhar Hussain, Jacob Sanchez, Jamilah King, Joshua Barajas, Juan Michael Porter II, Kai Teoh, Kim Johnson Flodin, Kris Hooks, Luella Brien, Martin Garcia, Mason Bryan, Matthew Vann, Maya Valentine, Pamela De La Fuente, Sabrina Bodon, Teri Henderson, Tierra Hayes, Torrance Latham, William Sanchez II and Zeke Minaya.

OAKLAND, CA (February 29, 2024): The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding diversity in the news media and dismantling structural racism in newsrooms, announced today the recipients of its 2024 Maynard 200 Fellowship. Since the program’s inception in 2018, the Maynard Institute has trained and mentored journalists, editors, managers, executives and media entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds. With its latest class of 32 fellows, the Maynard Institute will surpass its mission of cultivating 200 media leaders dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism.

The tuition-free program includes two weeks of in-person training rounds as well as supplementary sessions, office hours and ongoing support throughout the year. Maynard 200 returns to the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas for two weeks of customized workshops, hands-on coaching and peer networking sessions in March and July. The in-person training weeks are followed by a year-long, one-on-one mentorship phase, wherein each Fellow is paired with an industry expert for dedicated coaching.

In 2024, the institute’s cornerstone training program Maynard 200 Fellowship will focus on the professional advancement and year-long mentorship for frontline editors and mid-level managers. The customized curriculum addresses the challenges editors and managers struggle with daily in their newsrooms, especially those who have recently transitioned to higher leadership roles. This year’s program is made possible thanks to the generous support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation, McClatchy and individual donors.

“Maynard 200 has served as a lifeline to many BIPOC journalists, especially those navigating upheavals in the industry. Our graduates leave the program with a renewed fire in their roles and growth. They are emboldened to shift cultures in their newsrooms to create spaces of equity and belonging, knowing they have the support of the Maynard Family as their enduring community,” said Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Maynard 200 Director.

“This year’s Maynard 200 Fellows are another outstanding class of 32 media leaders, representing diverse racial, gender, age, and geographic backgrounds. Alongside legacy media peers, the powerful voice of journalists affiliated with ethnic, community-powered and niche media make this cohort unique. Their collective impact will help us craft future Maynard programs that are adaptive to the challenges of the field,” Alcazaren-Keeley added.

“We are excited about the curriculum we have designed, which will be led by subject matter experts in the industry,” said Felecia D. Henderson, the Maynard Institute’s cultural competency director and Maynard 200’s new executive-in-residence. “The fellows will graduate the program as more confident and proficient newsroom leaders.”

“This year we will surpass our goal of training 200 storytellers, managers, entrepreneurs and executives. It is exciting and inspiring to see the good work that has emerged from our training and to see the contributions our graduates are making to the profession,” said Maynard Institute co-executive director Evelyn Hsu, the architect of the program.

Meet the Maynard 200 Fellows of 2024:

• Aaron Foley, News Editor, New York Amsterdam News and Managing Editor, Model D
• Allison Jing Yang, Senior Editor (Partnerships & Initiatives), Initium Media
• Blanca Méndez, Community Engagement Editor, San Antonio Report
• Carmen Castro-Pagán, Team Lead (Editor), Bloomberg Industry Group
• Carolyn Copeland, News Editor, Prism
• Daarel Burnette II, Senior Editor, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Darius Dixon, Deputy Managing Editor-Policy, POLITICO
• Erica McIntosh, Senior Regional Editor-Southern CT, WNPR-Connecticut Public
• Estefania Mitre, Social Visuals Producer/Editor, NPR
• Fahmida Rashid, Managing Editor-Features, Dark Reading, Informa Tech
• Fernanda Santos, Contributing Editor, NAHJ palabra. / Prof. of Practice, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, ASU
• Heather J. Chin, Deputy Editor, Billy Penn at WHYY
• Iftikhar Hussain, Managing Editor, Voice of America
• Jacob Sanchez, Fellowship Editor and Enterprise Journalist, Fort Worth Report
• Jamilah King, Editorial Director, Mother Jones
• Joshua Barajas, Senior Editor-Digital, PBS NewsHour
• Juan Michael Porter II, Senior Editor, TheBody.com and TheBodyPro
• Kai Teoh, Data Editor, Dallas Morning News
• Kim Johnson Flodin, Deputy Director-U.S. News, Associated Press
• Kris Hooks, Money, Power, Inequality Editor, Boston Globe
• Luella Brien, Executive Director, Four Points Media
• Martin Garcia, News Inside Manager, The Marshall Project
• Mason Bryan, Senior Editor, Prison Journalism Project
• Matthew Vann, Senior Producer, “Good Morning America”, ABC News Washington
• Maya Valentine, Photo Editor, The Washington Post
• Pamela de la Fuente, Assigning Editor, NerdWallet
• Sabrina Bodon, Equity Lab Editor, The Sacramento Bee
• Teri Henderson, Arts & Culture Editor, Baltimore Beat
• Tierra Hayes, Digital and Engagement Editor, Chattanooga Times Free Press
• Torrance Latham, Breaking News Editor, Miami Herald
• William Sanchez II, Executive Director-Business Development and Digital Operations, Fox News Audio
• Zeke Minaya, Assistant Editor-Metro Desk, The New York Times

Read the bios for the 2024 Maynard 200 Fellows (PDF).

Get to know the Maynard 200 Fellows

Interested in learning more about the 32 media leaders joining the fellowship in 2024?

Read their bios

About the Maynard Institute

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in America’s newsrooms through our Maynard 200 fellowship program, which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired media entrepreneurs.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone fellowship program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

The 2024 Maynard 200 Fellowship is designed to sharpen skills, provide hands-on training as well as a one-to-one year-long mentorship, and build a community of peer support. This year’s curriculum has been updated with a hyperfocus on the critical role editors and managers play in today’s newsrooms. Hosted by the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU, fellows benefit from two weeks of in-person training sessions and workshops led by industry leaders. This blog highlights just a few of the 2024 Maynard 200 Faculty.

Editing for Tone & Language for Coaching Editors

Faculty: Merrill Perlman

Merrill Perlman is a consultant who works with news organizations, private companies and foundations, journalism organizations and writers and editors, helping them to communicate with clarity. She spent 25 years at The New York Times in jobs ranging from copy editor to director of copy desks, in charge of all 150-plus copy editors at The Times. She is also a freelance editor of books, long-form journalism and other informational content.

Before going to The Times, she was a copy editor and assistant business editor at The Des Moines Register. Before that, she was a reporter and copy editor at The Southern Illinoisan newspaper. She has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a master of arts in mass communication from Drake University.

Finding the Heart of the Story through 5 Focusing Questions

Faculty: Tom Huang

Tom Huang is Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he edits enterprise stories, helps with newsroom training and internships and leads the newsroom’s community-funded journalism initiative, which seeks philanthropic support of public service journalism. Since 2020, he has helped launch The News’ Education Lab, which has expanded education reporting with the support of local foundations; Arts Access, a partnership with KERA that covers arts and culture through a DEI lens; and the Dallas Media Collaborative, an alliance of news outlets and universities focused on solutions-based reporting on affordable housing.

As an adjunct faculty member of The Poynter Institute, he organizes seminars for professional journalists on writing, reporting and editing. For the past six years, he has served as a coach in the Poynter Table Stakes program, which helps newsrooms make the transition to sustainable digital publishing.

Editing Across Platforms

Faculty: Joanne Griffin

Joanne Griffin is a strategist, innovator and transformation professional with a lengthy career in finance and technology. Her career has spanned more than twenty years in various industries, including senior leadership positions at LinkedIn, Nielsen and EY.

She is currently the CEO of AdaptIQ where she leads innovation initiatives focused on transformation and adaptability for global enterprises. A solutions-builder at heart with a deep appreciation of the power of community to solve complex challenges, she is co-founder and COO of IrelandTogether.ie, a non-profit organisation creating opportunity for entrepreneurs by creating serendipitous collisions.

An enduring love affair with technology dates back to the arrival of the Commodore VIC-20 in the early 1980s. She has judged the European Automation Awards category for SSON since 2017, and is ranked as one of the Top 50 Thought Leaders in RPA. As a tech zealot with an innovative mindset, she believes that technologists have a responsibility to be ethical, collaborative and transparent in the design of products and business models. She advises a small number of high-potential start-ups who are aligned with those values.

Building Trust & Effective Relationships between Editors and Reporters/writers

Faculty: Maria Carrillo

Maria is a consultant and coach after spending 36 years in seven newsrooms. She was enterprise editor at the Tampa Bay Times and Houston Chronicle and, before that, managing editor at The Virginian-Pilot. She has edited dozens of award-winning projects, frequently lectures on narrative journalism and co-hosts a podcast (WriteLane) about craft.

She is a board member of the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism and the National Press Photographers Association and a juror for the Hillman Prizes. Maria was born in Washington, D.C., two years after her parents left Cuba in exile. She now lives in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Mounting and Managing a Big Project

Faculty: Aaron Glantz

Aaron served as Executive-in-Residence for the Maynard 200 Fellowship’s Investigative Storytelling Track. He is California bureau chief and a senior editor at The Fuller Project, the global newsroom dedicated to groundbreaking reporting that catalyzes positive change for women.

Aaron is a two-time Peabody Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist, who produces journalism with impact. His work has sparked dozens of Congressional hearings and investigations by the FBI, DEA, Pentagon inspector general, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary execution. One project prompted the second largest redlining settlement in Justice Department history, against Warren Buffett’s mortgage companies.

As senior investigations editor for NPR’s California Newsroom, he built an investigative collaboration for 17 public radio stations in partnership with NPR national. Their work led to the enactment of two state laws and propelled more than $2 billion in additional funds for affordable homeownership, climate mitigation, and compensation for fire victims.

Aaron is author of three books: How America Lost Iraq (Penguin); The War Comes Home: Washington’s Battle Against America’s Veterans (UC Press); and Homewreckers: How a Gang of Wall Street Kingpins, Hedge Fund Magnates, Crooked Banks, and Vulture Capitalists Sucked Millions Out of Their Homes and Demolished the American Dream (HarperCollins).

An alumnus of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, Aaron has been a DART Ochberg Fellow at Columbia University and a visiting professor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Convening in-person on March 11

The Maynard 200 Fellowship program is made possible thanks to all members of the 2024 faculty and mentors and the first training week kicks off on March 11. Our university host partners at TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication including long-standing TCU faculty member, Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Director of Student Media Journalism, Jean Marie Brown has also been instrumental in welcoming the Maynard 200 Fellowship. Brown is an expert in the Maynard Institute’s Fault Lines training methodology that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in newsrooms. Under Brown’s tutelage, the Fault Lines® methodology has also been applied to in-depth community reporting by students at TCU 360, the official, student-produced journalism of the Journalism Department in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

In addition to the sessions mentioned above, the Fellowship’s training sessions will also explore:

• Evaluating and coaching successful story pitches
• DEI in Artificial Intelligence
• The Fault Lines® Framework: Fault Lines® in News Coverage
• Gallup Strengths Assessment & 1:1 Coaching
• Coaching Workshops: Success in Management & Effective Leadership
• Leading Difficult Conversations and Managing Conflict
• Managing through Authenticity
• Managing Up, Down and Across Generations
• Building Resilience & Mental Well-Being in Teams
• Negotiation Strategies
• Fault Lines® in Management

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. Since 2018, the Maynard Institute has trained media leaders, storytellers, editors, managers and entrepreneurs through the fellowship program. Maynard 200 is designed to sharpen skills, provide hands-on training as well as a one-to-one year-long mentorship, and build a community of peer support for diverse journalists. In 2024, the program returns with two weeks of in-person training rounds — specifically designed to support the success of newsroom editors and managers. Hosted by the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, the program will convene in March and July of 2024.

Maynard 200 is made possible thanks to the support of our generous funders Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation and McClatchy.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

Fellows will benefit from interactive, hands-on sessions such as relationship building with reporters, improving editing technique, and of course, editing and managing via our signature Fault Lines framework.

Are you a newsroom editor or manager interested in growing your skills while building a diverse network of peers? The Maynard 200 Fellowship professional development program is for you. Led by the Maynard Institute’s Cultural Competency Director, Felecia D. Henderson, this year’s curriculum has been updated with a hyperfocus on the critical role editors and managers play in today’s newsrooms.

“There are not enough words to express how excited I am for this new iteration of Maynard 200,” says Felecia D. Henderson, who spent many years as a newsroom editor and manager. “We are responding to what we’ve heard from many news leaders who say training for middle managers is much needed. The 15 fellows selected will benefit from interactive, hands-on sessions such as relationship building with reporters, improving editing technique, and of course, editing and managing via our signature Fault Lines® framework. The goal is to produce more confident and effective editors and newsroom leaders.”

Skill-building curriculum rooted in current events

In 2024, the Maynard 200 Fellowship will focus on the professional development training and year-long mentorship for frontline editors and managers. The customized curriculum addresses the challenges editors and managers struggle with daily in a newsroom, especially those who have recently transitioned to higher leadership roles.

Training Week 1: Editing Leadership

Dates: March 11- 15, 2024

• Building trust and effective editing relationships
• Finding the heart of the story
• Hands-on editing & writing workshops
• Evaluating and coaching successful story pitches
• Mounting and managing major coverage projects
• DEI in Artificial Intelligence
• The Fault Lines® Framework: Fault Lines® in News Coverage
• Gallup Strengths Assessment & 1:1 Coaching

Training Week 2: Management Leadership

Dates: July 15 – 19, 2024

• Coaching Workshops: Success in Management & Effective Leadership
• Leading Difficult Conversations and Managing Conflict
• Managing through Authenticity
• Managing Up, Down and Across Generations
• Building Resilience & Mental Well-Being in Teams
• Negotiation Strategies
• Fault Lines® in Management

The program will also provide nuanced frameworks and cultural competency for fellows seeking guidance in covering the ongoing war and humanitarian crises in the Middle East; as well as political coverage for the consequential 2024 U.S. presidential elections.

About Felecia D. Henderson, Maynard 200 Executive-in-Residence

Since 2020, Henderson has trained nearly 250 print and broadcast news organizations on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging issues using Maynard’s signature Fault Lines® program. She also oversees the cultural competency curriculum for colleges and universities, and is a newsroom organizational change coach and consultant.

Prior to joining the institute, Henderson was Assistant Managing Editor at The Detroit News where she was a member of the senior management team responsible for newsroom operations. In 2009, she successfully co-facilitated the largest newsroom change initiative to transition the organization to a digital news, four-day single copy, two-day home delivery model.

She began her journalism career at her hometown newspaper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY, graduated from the Maynard Institute’s Editing Program for Minority Journalists at the University of Arizona, and held editing roles at the Detroit Free Press and Cincinnati Post.

Henderson is a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Visual Task Force. Locally, she was elected president and vice president-print of the Detroit NABJ. She currently serves an ex-officio member on the board of directors.

Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio-TV/Journalism from Murray State University, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 2019, and a Master of Organization Development from Bowling Green State University. She holds certification in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and is a certified Emotional Intelligence practitioner from RocheMartin, an international leadership development organization.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. Since 2018, the Maynard Institute has trained media leaders, storytellers, editors, managers and entrepreneurs through the fellowship program. Maynard 200 is designed to sharpen skills, provide hands-on training as well as a one-to-one year-long mentorship, and build a community of peer support for diverse journalists. In 2024, the program returns with two weeks of in-person training rounds — specifically designed to support the success of newsroom editors and managers. Hosted by the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, the program will convene in March and July of 2024.

Maynard 200 is made possible thanks to the support of our generous funders Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation and McClatchy.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

On October 23 the Maynard 200 Fellowship cohort of 2023 will reconvene for the final week of virtual programming presented by industry-leading faculty. The Maynard Institute’s cornerstone program, the Maynard 200 Fellowship promotes career growth and supports the future of inclusive and equitable journalism by providing training courses, resources, and mentorship by distinguished media professionals. The program kicked off in person at TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication in June and will culminate this October after a final week of virtual sessions on professional development topics ranging from effective leadership and negotiation strategies to investigating large corporations and raising entrepreneurial capital.

Customized Curriculum to Span Evolving Media Industry Roles

The Maynard 200 Fellowship operates in four disciplines: Investigative Storytellers, Executive Leaders, Frontline Managers and Editors and Media Entrepreneurs and Product Developers, Executive Leaders, Frontline Managers and Editors and Investigative Storytellers. Each track is led by accomplished industry veterans such as Peabody award-winning journalist Aaron Glantz for investigative storytelling, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith for the leadership track, and retired senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers, and media strategist Dickson Louie for media entrepreneurs and product developers. This month’s virtual programming is tailored to each discipline with some overlap in areas that benefit multiple tracks.

Session Highlights

Investigative Storytellers will benefit from a career advice session from Ron Nixon, Vice President of News and Head of Investigations, Enterprise, Partnerships and Grants at the Associated Press. In addition, two-time Pulitzer Gold Medalist and International Investigations Editor for the Associated Press Mary Rajkumar will lead a deep dive session on mounting and mannaging a major investigative project. Later, Investigative Storytellers will explore “Investigations that Make an Impact” with two-time Peabody Award-winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Aaron Glantz, this discipline track’s executive-in-residence. Investigative Storytellers will also learn what’s involved in Taking on Large Corporations from Ziva Branstetter, senior editor at ProPublica, and Tekendra Parmar, Insider’s Tech Features Editor and an alum of the Maynard 200 Fellowship Program.

The Executive Leaders track is led by Virgil Smith, Principal of Smith Edwards Group, LLC and author of The Keys to Effective Leadership. In addition to professional networking and financial management sessions, fellows in the Executive Leaders curriculum track will also learn about “Managing Your LinkedIn Profile” from Senior Contributor to Forbes and Founder of Dream Career Club, Caroline Ceniza-Levine.

Led by executive-in-residence John X. Miller, veteran journalist and former Senior Editor for Sports, Business and Features at The Dallas Morning News, Frontline Managers and Editors will learn about “Getting to the Heart of the Story” from Tom Huang, Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News. Frontline Managers and Editors will also explore the Keys to Effective Leadership in a session led by Virgil Smith before receiving tips for a successful presentation from Tom Nixon. Finally, from John X. Miller, the fellows will receive Hands on Editing and Management Coaching.

The Media Entrepreneurs and Product Developers track is led by track executive-in-residence Dickson Louie, principal of a Bay Area consultancy providing strategic planning, competitive analysis and executive development services. Session highlights include “Polishing a Pitch” from presentation designer and coach Tom Nixon, “Writing a Grant” from Jill M. Kunishima and “Raising Entrepreneurial Capital with Term Sheets” from Professor Michael Sherrod, the William M. Dickey Entrepreneur in Residence at TCU’s Neeley School of Business. Each entreprenuer and product developer will also participate in a Shark Tank-like session, pitching their proposals to a panel of judges.

Some plenary sessions benefiting all tracks include discussions on “Listening to Your Authentic Voice” with Tonya Mosley of NPR’s Fresh Air and founder and host of podcast Truth Be Told, and Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday, as well as “Leveraging Your Strenghts and Seizing Opportunities in a Time of Transition, Innovation and Upheaval” with Jean Marie Brown, associate professor of professional practice in the Department of Journalism at TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Cross-functional Teams Tackle the Business Case Challenge

The business case study provides Maynard 200 Fellows with a unique opportunity to learn real-world application of evolving best practices in the industry. Participating fellows are briefed on challenges facing a present-day media organization. Team work will focus on market research and the development of proposed solutions to create a presentation to share with the news organization’s leadership at the October Maynard 200 gathering.

When first announced last year, the project was a case study of the Los Angeles Times business strategy and culminated in fellows presenting their findings and recommendations to LA Times executives. This year, the Business Case Study Challenge has expanded to include partners Mother Jones and the Dallas Morning News.

Mentorship that Makes a Difference

We often refer to the extended network of our program alumni as the Maynard Family. One of the main benefits of the Maynard 200 Fellowship program is access to Maynard Family mentors in the industry. The Maynard 200 Fellowship program’s unique one-on-one mentorship component continues well into 2024. After the formal training curriculum concludes in October 2023, Maynard 200 fellows are paired with a veteran media professional or issue expert who has committed to mentoring the fellow for a full year. Successful fellows meet with their assigned mentors at least once per month for conversational consults as schedules permit.

More about the Maynard 200 Fellowship

The Maynard 200 fellowship program advances the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds. Maynard 200 has been supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google News Initiative and The Hearthland Foundation.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

Photo: Oakland Voices correspondents Randy Cross, Manar Harb, Patricia Morrow, Joy Quilatan, Tanna Simone, Nani Smith, Daniel Swafford, Ansel Troy, Vanessa Velasco, and Dera R. Williams.

This article was originally published on the Oakland Voices website.

Oakland Voices, a community-driven initiative, has launched its highly anticipated 2023 Community Journalism Academy, aiming to amplify the voices of Oakland residents and redefine the narrative about the town. This year, ten dedicated Oakland residents will participate in the program, acquiring essential journalism ethics, practices, and storytelling skills while contributing impactful stories to the Oakland Voices website.

Community Journalism Academy

This year’s program launched in May. The program curriculum includes training on journalism ethics, the Maynard Institute’s Fault Lines framework, news reporting, interviews, health- and arts & culture- reporting, and opinion/column writing.

Oakland Voices co-director Rasheed Shabazz developed the curriculum, building on the work of former program coordinator Brenda Payton. Working journalists support the program by leading workshops and sharing their experiences in the field and the newsroom. Most training takes place at Oakland Public Libraries.

Fostering passion, unique voices

“We have an amazing group this year,” exclaimed Shabazz, expressing his admiration for the passionate participants who deeply care about their communities, neighborhoods, and the issues affecting their loved ones. The program celebrates their dedication and seeks to empower them as they continue to hone their unique voices, effectively representing the diverse perspectives within Oakland.

Opportunities for Growth

“They are passionate about their communities, their neighborhoods, and the issues that matter to them and their loved ones,” Shabazz added. “I am grateful to work with them as they continue to develop their voices.”

When correspondents complete the program, they will develop a portfolio of stories and be eligible to join Oakland Voices’ alumni program, led by program co-director Momo Chang. Program alumni receive payment for contributing stories to the website along with support with publishing in other outlets.

Participants also earn up to $1,000 while in the academy.

The loss of local journalism in Oakland

With the decline in traditional newspapers and the struggle to adapt to the digital age, many local news outlets like the Oakland Tribune have ceased daily operations. As a result, residents have experienced a dearth of reliable, in-depth reporting on local events, issues, and government activities. This loss has had serious implications for civic engagement, community awareness, and accountability, as crucial stories and voices have been left untold and unheard in Oakland.

A Decade of empowerment

Oakland Voices has a remarkable history of helping fill this information gap since its inception in 2010. The program has trained over 70 community storytellers. These empowered voices have artfully conveyed the stories of their communities through print and online platforms, as well as radio broadcasts and live shows in partnership with KALW. The initiative’s roots in a collaboration with the Oakland Tribune newspaper have fostered its evolution as a unique, independent, and indispensable community news and information source.

Oakland Voices, Oakland futures

Looking ahead, the program plans to launch a podcast series in 2024, expanding its reach and enhancing storytelling opportunities. By 2030, Oakland Voices envisions training 100 Oakland community storytellers, aiming to bridge the gap caused by the loss of local news outlets and to continue serving as a powerful voice for the community.

2023 Community Journalism Academy:

-Randi Cross
-Manar Harb
-Patricia Morrow
-Joy Quilatan
-Tanna Simone
-Nani Smith
-Daniel Swafford
-Ansel Troy
-Vanessa Velasco
-Dera R. Williams

Oakland Voices is a program of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. The program has been supported by the California Endowment, Google News Initiative, and the Akonadi Foundation.

ABOUT THE MAYNARD INSTITUTE FOR JOURNALISM EDUCATION

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We support efforts to change the narrative about Oakland by providing journalism training and a platform to amplify the voices of Oakland residents.

Photo credit: Bob Schieffer College of Communication

The Maynard 200 Fellowship kicked off the program with its first training week grounded in the Maynard Institute’s core DEI and Belonging framework focused on dismantling structural racism in America’s newsrooms. The 49 fellows of 2023, coming from a range of media platforms including print, broadcast, multimedia and online arrived in Fort Worth, Texas in late June, ready to work toward change and with a dedication to transforming their newsrooms for equity.

Hosted by the program’s university partner – the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) – media leaders representing diverse geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds bonded not only in the swelter of a Texas heatwave, but also in the responsibility to bring the power of diversity, equity and belonging back to their newsrooms.

Since its inception in 2018, the Maynard 200 Fellowship has bolstered fellows’ leadership power and has contributed to the journalism industry’s impact by providing advanced training to mid-career media professionals. The curriculum is customized across learning tracks designed for investigative storytellers, frontline editors and managers, executive leaders and media entrepreneurs and product developers.

The tuition-free program’s in-person week of education and connection gave the media fellows an opportunity to participate in powerful discussions and collaborative projects that transform their work in the media world and shape their professional growth.

Session highlights from story-pitching to UX design

Fellows in three cohorts – frontline editors and managers, executive leaders and media entrepreneurs – also kicked off group projects with leading news organizations Mother Jones and Dallas News to create meaningful change in those newsrooms.

Incoming fellows are affiliated with a range of nationally recognized publications, community-powered media and emergent ventures including the New York Times, Oaklandside, KQED, Kansas City Defender and the Maynard Institute’s own community journalism training program Oakland Voices.

The fellows were collectively led through over 60 engaging training sessions delivered by 45 faculty members, some of whom were in previous Maynard 200 Fellowship cohorts. Breakout sessions were divided by the cohort tracks to share in the knowledge and skills of fellows on topics including investigative story-pitching, hands-on editing, media disruption, product strategies, financial leadership, talent recruitment and techniques for building resilience while reporting on traumatic events.

Before the in-person sessions, fellows were asked to complete the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment. Jean Marie Brown, TCU’s Associate Professor of Professional Practice, held one-on-one sessions explaining to the fellows how to position their strengths in their work using their Gallup results.

The plenary large-group learning sessions included all fellows to foster learning from each other’s expertise and multi-layered perspectives. The goal of these sessions was to embrace each of the participants’ diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

In one session, consultant Adriana Lacy led the cohorts through a product development workshop demonstrating user interface interactions and customer experience.

Fellows react to Supreme Court decision during session

Every year, the Fault Lines® session is foundational to the Maynard 200 Fellowship curriculum. The Maynard Institute’s Fault Lines® DEI training methodology explains race, gender, sexual orientation, generation, geography and class, as they apply to journalists, newsroom collaboration and coverage. Co-led with TCU faculty Jean Marie Brown and the Maynard Institute’s Co-Executive Director Martin G. Reynolds, the training is based on addressing personal bias and asks the fundamental question: How can you be a dismantler of systemic racism in your organization?

During the Fault Lines® plenary session, just as Reynolds changed the slide to read “Are you ready to get uncomfortable?” faculty and fellows learned of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring affirmative action as unlawful, gutting race-conscious admissions at Harvard University and University of North Carolina with repercussions across the nation’s colleges and universities.

The news sparked an emotionally-charged and raw discussion surfacing lessons, personal experiences and remembrances of previous Supreme Court decisions impacting the daily lives of everyone in the room.

Maynard Institute Board Chair and Maynard 200 Fellowship faculty member and mentor, John X. Miller delivered an empowering speech reminding the editors, media entrepreneurs and journalists of their call to action and to use the decision as fuel for their newsrooms for change and equity. “Take that anger that you have…and turn it into action” he said.

“We recognize that we are in the position to be the change that we want to see in the world,” said Miller. “Feel as though you are empowered to make that change.”

What’s next for Maynard 200 Fellows

The Maynard 200 program adheres to an all-teach, all-learn framework where not only faculty members provide training, but all participants learn from each other’s expertise and multi-layered perspectives. It embraces each of the participants’ diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

A second and final training week will be held virtually in October 2023, when the storytellers, leaders, frontline editors and entrepreneurs will finalize their business case study projects, sharing their research and lessons learned during their time in the program.

Then, the Maynard 200 Fellowship program’s unique one-on-one mentorship component continues well into 2024. After the formal training curriculum concludes in October 2023, each Maynard 200 fellow is paired with a veteran media professional or issue expert who has committed to mentoring the fellow for a full year.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone fellowship program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds. Maynard 200 has been supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google News Initiative and The Hearthland Foundation.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

The 2023 Maynard 200 Fellowship launches on June 26 at the program’s university partner, the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. Forty-five faculty members will lead over 60 engaging training sessions on professional development topics ranging from investigative story-pitching, hands-on editing, media disruption and product strategies to financial leadership, talent recruitment and techniques for building resilience while reporting on traumatic events. With this new class of 49 fellows, the Maynard Institute is on course to surpass its goal of cultivating 200 media leaders dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism, in 2024.

Partners in the Lone Star State at TCU

This year’s program is made possible thanks to the generous partnership of Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU. The reception on Monday, June 26 will include a welcome address by Chair of the Journalism Department, Dr. Uche Onyebadi. The first full training day on Tuesday, June 27, will kick off with opening remarks by the Dean of TCU’s Bob Schieffer College of Communication, Dr. Kristie Bunton.

Long-standing TCU faculty member, Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Director of Student Media Journalism, Jean Marie Brown has also been instrumental in welcoming the Maynard 200 Fellowship. Brown is an expert in the Maynard Institute’s Fault Lines® training methodology that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in newsrooms. Under Brown’s tutelage, the Fault Lines® methodology has also been applied to in-depth community reporting by students at TCU 360, the official, student-produced journalism of the Journalism Department in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

“Hosting the Maynard 200 professional development training program further demonstrates our profound commitment toward upholding the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Dr. Uche Onyebadi, Chair of the Journalism Department.

“As a core value in our college, all of us in the journalism department strive to instill these principles in our students in and outside of classrooms. We believe that this program will reinforce the centrality of DEI in modern journalism practice and hope that all participants will use what they have learned to enhance the quality of their work in furtherance of the growth and relevance of the profession in our society.”

In addition to providing training session facility space, TCU is hosting both the welcome reception and a happy hour mixer at Lot 12, the rooftop bar of the Hyatt Place – TCU hotel. One of the lasting benefits of the Maynard 200 Fellowship is connecting with a network of journalists of colors and their allies. This community of peers and mentors can serve fellows throughout their careers.

Business case study project partners Mother Jones and Dallas Morning News

Last year, the Maynard 200 Fellowship piloted a new team project across multiple tracks under the direction of Executive-in-Residence, Dickson Louie. The project was a case study of the Los Angeles Times business strategy and culminated in fellows presenting their findings and recommendations to executives at the Los Angeles Times. The Maynard Institute is thrilled to announce that in 2023, the business case study challenge has expanded to include partners Mother Jones and the Dallas Morning News.

The business case study provides Maynard 200 Fellows with a unique opportunity to learn real-world application of evolving best practices in the industry. Participating fellows are briefed on challenges facing a present-day media organization. Team work will focus on market research and the development of proposed solutions to create a presentation to share with the news organization’s leadership at the October Maynard 200 gathering.

Meet the 2023 Maynard 200 Faculty

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2023 faculty and mentors. Each track is led by accomplished industry veterans such as Peabody award-winning journalist Aaron Glantz for investigative storytelling, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith for the leadership track, and retired senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers, and media strategist Dickson Louie for media entrepreneurs and product developers.

The full list of 2023 Maynard 200 faculty (alphabetized by first name) includes:

• A.C. Thompson, Senior Reporter with ProPublica, Correspondent for FRONTLINE
• Aaron Glantz, Bureau Chief & Senior Editor, The Fuller Project
• Adriana Lacy, Founder, CEO, Adriana Lacy Consulting
• Amy Chen, VP Content, GGV Capital
• Andy Alford, Director of Editorial Recruitment, Training and Career Development, The Texas Tribune
• April Armstrong, Research Manager, The Seattle Times
• Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Founder, Dream Career Club
• Cathy Eckstein, CEO of Cornerstone CMO, Co-founder, General Partner at Sonoran Founders Fund
• Darren Johnson, Organizational Development Consultant / Author
• Dickson Louie, Principal of Dickson Louie & Associates / Lecturer at Graduate School of Management, UC Davis
• Dorothy Bland, Media Management Consultant, DMB Consultants
• Ernesto Aguilar, Director of Programming, Radio, KQED
• Evelyn Hsu, Co-Executive Director, Maynard Institute
• Hilda Polanco, Market Managing Partner, BDO
• James Nixon, President, NIXON Interests
• Jean Marie Brown, Associate Prof. of Professional Practice, Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU
• Jill Van Why, Sr. Vice President-Programming Operations, FOX News Media
• John X. Miller, Former Senior Editor, Dallas Morning News
• Kari Cobham, Director of Fellowships, The 19th
• Kati Erwert, Senior Vice President of Product, Marketing and Public Service, The Seattle Times
• Katrice Hardy, Executive Editor, The Dallas Morning News
• Kristie Bunton, Dean and Professor of Journalism, Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU
• Laura Janelle Downey, Executive Editor, WebMD
• Leezel Tanglao, Senior Digital Director, The Dallas Morning News
• Linda Lloyd da Silva, Brand, Marketing & Communications Strategist
• Lorena Flores, Senior Community Audience Strategist, The Dallas Morning News
• Manny García, Executive Editor, Austin American-Statesman
• Manuel McDonnell Smith, Senior Editorial Manager Yahoo!
• Maria Carrillo, Consultant and Coach, Carrillo & Associates
• Marisa Porto, Distinguished Professor and Knight Chair in Local News and Sustainability University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
• Mark Walker, Investigative Reporter, The New York Times
• Marla Jones-Newman, VP, People & Culture, Mother Jones
• Martin G. Reynolds, Co-Executive Director, Maynard Institute
• Michael Sherrod, William M. Dickey Entrepreneur in Residence, Neeley School of Business at TCU
• Monika Bauerlein, CEO, MOTHER JONES
• Monique O. Madan, National Investigative Reporter, USA TODAY
• Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Director Maynard 200, Maynard Institute
• Rebecca Aguilar, Freelance Reporter and Founder, Latinas in Journalism
• Sandra Clark, CEO, StoryCorps
• Shaneen Quarles, Media Personality and Entrepreneur, Shaneenspeaks
• Tom Huang, Assistant Managing Editor, The Dallas Morning News
• Tom Nixon, Presentation Designer & Coach, Tom Nixon Design
• Travers Johnson, Founder & CEO, Queerency
• Uche Onyebadi, Chair of Journalism and Professor, Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU
• Virgil Smith, Principal, Smith Edwards Groups LLC

To learn more about the Maynard 200 Faculty, read their bios (PDF)

Learn more about the Maynard 200 Faculty and Partners of 2023

Interested in learning more this year’s faculty? Get to know the 45 media leaders joining the fellowship in 2023.

Read their bios

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone fellowship program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds. Maynard 200 has been supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google News Initiative and The Hearthland Foundation.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

The 2023 Maynard 200 Fellows (clockwise from top left) Investigative Storytellers: Natalia Alamdari, Dorine Bethea, Janet Cho, Sheila Dang, Angela Dennis, Rachel Hinton, Troy Johnson, Michael Lyle, Josh McGhee, Jaisal Noor, Kaila Philo, Farida Jhabvala Romero, Helina Selemon, and Kristoffer Tigue; Frontline Editors and Managers: Diego Barahona, Scott Bell, April Bethea, Momo Chang, Melinda Coleau, Nia Decaille, Karim Doumar, Christine Hendricks, Yihyun Jeong, Alejandro Martinez-Cabrera, Daniel Moattar, Angelica Obioha, Rheaa Rao, and Walter Smith Randolph; Executive Leaders: Eva-Marie Ayala, Cynthia Benjamin, Khary Brown, Tercius Tarcisius Serrano Bufete, Rachel James-Terry, Nina Martin, Nicole Ortiz, Megha Satyanarayana, Jacob Simas, Ashley M. Slayton, Matthew Tinoco, and Michelle Zenarosa; Media Entrepreneurs and Product Developers: Priya David Clemens, Brandy Collins, Jazmin Goodwin, Ahmed Hamid, Caron LeNoir, Alicia Ramirez, Karina Ramos Villalobos, Ryan Sorrel, and Wendy Todd.

OAKLAND, CA (June 1, 2023): The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding diversity in the news media and dismantling structural racism in newsrooms, announced today the recipients of its 2023 Maynard 200 Fellowship. Since the program’s inception in 2018, more than 140 storytellers, editors, managers, leaders, and media entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds have been trained and mentored. With its latest class of 49 fellows, the Maynard Institute is on course to surpass its goal of cultivating 200 media leaders dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism, in 2024.

The 2023 in-person program will open June 26th, hosted by the program’s university partner this year, the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.

A second week of training will be held virtually from October 23-27, when fellows will be paired with industry veterans and experts for ongoing, one-to-one mentorship.

“This year’s Maynard 200 fellows join a community of journalists who have ascended into executive-level roles; received awards for coverage; led diversity initiatives that have shifted newsroom cultures; and launched innovative entrepreneurial ventures, many of which bolster local journalism,” said Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Maynard 200 Director.

“We welcome another impressive class of 49 media leaders, representing diverse gender, geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds; and are affiliated with legacy, ethnic, community-powered media and emergent ventures. They join the community of peers that we build every year, propelling a mini-movement to dismantle systemic inequity in American media. Our fellows contribute to a program that an industry ally has referred to as one of the most powerful incubators for journalists of color.” Alcazaren-Keeley added.

“Our graduates are reshaping American journalism,” said Maynard Institute co-executive director Evelyn Hsu. “This program is part of the Maynard Institute’s long record of service to a craft that is critical to the health of a functioning democracy.”

The 2023 Maynard 200 cohort includes:

Investigative Storytelling Fellows pictured (clockwise from top left) include Natalia Alamdari, Dorine Bethea, Janet Cho, Sheila Dang, Angela Dennis, Rachel Hinton, Troy Johnson, Michael Lyle, Josh McGhee, Jaisal Noor, Kaila Philo, Farida Jhabvala Romero, Helina Selemon, and Kristoffer Tigue.

Investigative Storytellers

• Natalia Alamdari – Seacrest Greater Nebraska Reporter, Flatwater Free Press
• Dorine Bethea – Multiplatform Editor, The Washington Post / Journalism Educator, Howard University
• Janet Cho – Reporter, Barron’s
• Sheila Dang – Media and Advertising Reporter, Reuters
• Angela Dennis – Race, Equity, Social Justice Reporter, USA Today Network- Knoxville News Sentinel
• Rachel Hinton – Enterprise Reporter, Illinois Answers Project
• Troy Johnson – News Anchor, 16 WAPT News – Hearst Television
• Michael Lyle – Reporter, Nevada Current (States Newsroom)
• Josh McGhee – Reporter, Mindsite News
• Jaisal Noor – Independent Journalist/Democracy Cohort Manager, Solutions Journalism Network
• Kaila Philo – Investigative Reporter, previously for Talking Points Memo
• Farida Jhabvala Romero – Labor Correspondent, KQED Public Radio
• Helina Selemon -Science Reporter, The Blacklight, New York Amsterdam News
• Kristoffer Tigue – Reporter, Inside Climate News

Editors and Managers Fellows pictured (clockwise from top left) include Diego Barahona, Scott Bell, April Bethea, Momo Chang, Melinda Coleau, Nia Decaille, Karim Doumar, Christine Hendricks, Yihyun Jeong, Alejandro Martinez-Cabrera, Daniel Moattar, Angelica Obioha, Rheaa Rao, and Walter Smith Randolph.

Frontline Editors and Managers

• Diego Barahona – Digital Editor, La Noticia
• Scott Bell – Breaking News Editor, Dallas Morning News
• April Bethea – Deputy Education Editor, The Washington Post
• Momo Chang – Co-Director, Oakland Voices
• Melinda Coleau – Planning Manager, NBC4/T44, NBC Universal WRC / NBC4
• Nia Decaille – SEO Editor, The New York Times
• Karim Doumar – Deputy Editor, Newsletters, Los Angeles Times
• Christine Hendricks – VP, Marketing, Local Media Consortium
• Yihyun Jeong – Deputy Metro Editor, The Seattle Times
• Alejandro Martinez-Cabrera – Education and Urban Affairs Editor, The Texas Tribune
• Daniel Moattar – Articles Editor, Mother Jones
• Angelica Obioha – Managing Editor, The Sacramento Observer
• Rheaa Rao – Markets Editor, Bloomberg
• Walter Smith Randolph – Investigative Editor, Connecticut Public Broadcasting

Executive Leadership Fellows pictured (clockwise from top left) include Eva-Marie Ayala, Cynthia Benjamin, Khary Brown, Tercius Tarcisius Serrano Bufete, Rachel James-Terry, Nina Martin, Nicole Ortiz, Megha Satyanarayana, Jacob Simas, Ashley M. Slayton, Matthew Tinoco, and Michelle Zenarosa.

Executive Leaders

• Eva-Marie Ayala – Education Lab Editor, The Dallas Morning News
• Cynthia Benjamin – Senior Director/News Learning & Development, Gannett-USA Today Network
• Khary Brown – Vice President Media Sales, Mother Jones
• Tercius Tarcisius Serrano Bufete – Executive Editor, USA Today – Reviewed
• Rachel James-Terry – Director of Public Relations, Jackson State University
• Nina Martin – Features Editor/Reporter, Center for Investigative Reporting
• Nicole Ortiz – Freelance Editor/ Former Sr. Story Editor, Adweek
• Megha Satyanarayana – Chief Opinion Editor, Scientific American
• Jacob Simas – Managing Editor, The Oaklandside (Cityside Journalism Initiative)
• Ashley M. Slayton – Audience Development Editor, The Dallas Morning News
• Matthew Tinoco – Publisher, Los Angeles Public Press
• Michelle Zenarosa – Deputy Editor, Reckon Media

Media Entrepreneurs and Product Developers Fellows pictured (clockwise from top left) include Priya David Clemens, Brandy Collins, Jazmin Goodwin, Ahmed Hamid, Caron LeNoir, Alicia Ramirez, Karina Ramos Villalobos, Ryan Sorrel, and Wendy Todd.

Media Entrepreneurs and Product Developers

• Priya David Clemens – Founder, Bridge Media Company / News Anchor, KQED Public TV
• Brandy Collins – Freelance Writer & Alumna, Oakland Voices/ Consultant
• Jazmin Goodwin – Founder and CEO at Stealth Startup
• Ahmed Hamid – Co-Founder, Refound Journalism
• Caron LeNoir – Founder & Executive Producer, CARONISMedia Group
• Alicia Ramirez – Founder/ Publisher, The Riverside Record
• Karina Ramos Villalobos – Founder, Mundo De Scorpio/ Multimedia Journalist, Redwood News
• Ryan Sorrel – Founder & Executive Editor, The Kansas City Defender
• Wendy Todd – Founder, Carbon Media Ventures. LLC/ PR Writer, University of Missouri–St. Louis

Read the bios for the 2023 Maynard 200 Fellows(PDF)

Maynard 200 has been supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google News Initiative and The Hearthland Foundation.

Learn more about the Maynard 200 Fellows of 2023

Interested in learning more this year’s fellows? Get to know the 49 media leaders joining the fellowship in 2023.

Read their bios

About the Maynard Institute

For more than 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in America’s newsrooms through our Maynard 200 fellowship program, which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

Maynard 200 is the cornerstone fellowship program advancing the Maynard Institute’s efforts to expand the diversity pipeline in news media and dismantle structural racism in its newsrooms. It is designed for and serves the next generation of media leaders, storytellers, editors and entrepreneurs, in order to advance their career growth and leadership power in newsrooms and organizations. The professional development program provides customized training courses, resources and 1:1 mentorship by industry professionals, to fellows who have represented a wide spectrum of racial, gender and geographic backgrounds.

Visit PR Newswire press release.

Questions?

For more information about the Maynard 200 Fellowship, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.