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 2023 program is hybrid model, with both in-person meetings and virtual instruction via Zoom, plus a planned in-person graduation celebration, as public health conditions allow. Correspondents will receive a $1,000 stipend for participation and completing assignments. No previous media experience required.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Applications are due by Sunday, April 16, at 11:59 PM PDT.

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.

How to Apply

Online applications must by submitted by Sunday, April 16, 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.

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, and so we make special efforts to recruit individuals from these groups for our programs. For questions about sponsoring an Oakland Voices correspondent or donating to the program, contact us to learn more.

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.

Meet Oakland Voices alums at The New Parkway on March 23

Interested in meeting some Oakland Voices alums before applying? Co-Director of Oakland Voices Alumni program, Momo Chang will be a panelist at the next Culture Makers event dedicated to local journalists on Thursday, March 23 at the New Parkway Theater in Oakland, California. Learn more about the event. Space is limited. Registration required.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Oakland, Calif. (February 17, 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 news organizations selected to participate in the Equity and Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program are The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and GBH News in Boston.

The pilot program, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, pairs news organizations with consultants who have a wealth of experience training journalists on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) issues. The goal is to help transform workplace structures, organizational cultures and news coverage to be more inclusive and reflective of the United States.

“With this pilot, we’re trying to see if we can operationalize the concept of belonging,” said Martin G. Reynolds, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute. “This is very challenging work because it requires an individual and collective unwinding of internalized biases and perceptions that have made news organizations toxic places for so many, particularly people of color. We see this work as a journey. What’s exciting about working with The Gazette and GBH News is that each organization is starting at a different place along this journey and we are excited to work with our consulting teams to help them make significant progress.”

Celebrating its 140th year in continuous operation, The Gazette is an employee-owned newspaper with 30,000 daily subscribers. Based in Cedar Rapids, the second-largest city in the state of Iowa with a population of 138,000 residents, The Gazette also covers Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa. The communities range from a mix of industrial employees and a sizable refugee population from Sudan.

“We are focused on local enterprise news that looks to solutions rather than just pointing out problems,” said Zack Kucharski, executive editor and employee owner of The Gazette. “We know that we can improve in representation on the staff and in coverage practices to best reflect the diversity of our community, while also working to give these populations a voice and build trust.”

The Gazette, which has participated in previous diversity programs, applied to the Maynard Institute’s pilot program to gain momentum in order to transform their newsroom culture and business practices. As part of the pilot program’s embedded consultant model, The Gazette will be paired with a group of DEI experts based in Southern California, from CRB Global & Rich Diversity Consulting.

“We are excited to take a team-wide approach, as there are challenges across many of the topical areas that we cover, and we need everyone thinking about this,” Kucharski said.

“Working to build norms and benchmarks and have consistent practices will also allow us to measure progress, and that’s an important piece of making this part of the culture of the organization,” he said.

Similarly, GBH News is invested in sustained cultural change. Located in Boston, GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in the United States as the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX. The vision of GBH News, which reaches more than 400,000 people weekly across all platforms, is to transform into one cohesive, audience-focused news organization by creating an anti-racist, radically inclusive and culturally responsive newsroom without walls to better serve an increasingly diverse and curious population. A team of DEI consultants who represent Global Equity Collective will help GBH News work toward that goal.

“We re-envisioned our beat structure to create distinct local stories of the day in collaboration with a wider audience,” said Lee Hill, executive editor for GBH News. “By 2027, our newsroom will closely mirror the city of Boston, which is rapidly changing demographically. Internally, we have to ensure that we are culturally responsive. We created two working groups focused on equitable professional development and belonging.

“In 2022, GBH News began a mandatory Source Diversity Survey,” Hill said. “As part of this, our journalists ask each person we interview questions about their race, gender, age, location to ensure that GBH News becomes more infused and informed by the diverse communities we serve.”

Felecia D. Henderson, director of cultural competency at the Maynard Institute, said the Equity and Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program will provide an opportunity to meet each news organization where they are in their current cultural journey and lead them toward sustainable, equitable change.

“We are excited to partner with The Gazette and GBH News to give them the tools that will have lasting impact inside their organizations and with their communities,” Henderson said.

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

For 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 U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Visit the Maynard Institute website to learn more.

Questions?

CONTACT:

Felecia D. Henderson
Director of Cultural Competency, Maynard Institute
fhenderson@mije.org

Martin G. Reynolds
Co-Executive Director, Maynard Institute
mreynolds@mije.org

Read the press release on PRWeb.

OAKLAND, CA (January 30, 2023): The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding the diversity pipeline in the news media and dismantling structural racism in its newsrooms, is accepting applications for its cornerstone Maynard 200 Fellowship. The professional development program provides cutting-edge training and year-long mentorship for storytellers, editors and managers, leaders and media entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds.

The 2023 program will kick off in-person on June 26th at Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. Maynard 200 fellows will benefit from tuition-free training and mentorship, plus lodging and travel expenses will be covered by the Maynard Institute.

The program will continue throughout the summer with a series of virtual webinars. A second week of training will be held virtually over Zoom the week of October 23rd. Fellows will then be paired with industry veterans and experts in relevant disciplines in their area of interest to receive one year of one-to-one mentorship through October 2024.

This year’s program will consist of a cohort size of 30 fellows. Applicants can apply to one of four curriculum tracks designed for investigative storytellers, executive leaders, frontline editors and managers and media entrepreneurs and product developers. Applications are due by 11:59 PM PDT on March 31, 2023. Screening will begin after the application deadline and will continue through April.

Maynard 200 has been supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google News Initiative, and The Hearthland Foundation. The Fox Corporation is a returning sponsor for the 2023 program as well.

For more information and guidance on the application process, as well as COVID-19 safety protocols for the in-person training sessions, please visit Maynard 200 program updates for 2023.

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 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 program

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.

Join the Maynard 200 Kick-off in Fort Worth

The deadline to apply for Maynard 200 is March 31, 2023. Read more about the program and apply today!

Questions?

See the latest press release on PR Newswire. For more information about sponsoring the Maynard 200 Fellowship or program eligibility, please reach out to:
Maynard 200 Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley at okeeley@mije.org.

We are proud that the staff of the Maynard Institute is committed to advocating for racial equity in journalism and beyond. In addition to their work and service to the Maynard Institute mission, our organization’s team members have a positive impact across the industry and their communities. In this spirit, we congratulate Co-Executive Director, Evelyn Hsu and Maynard 200 Fellowship Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley on their recent achievements.

Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu elected Vice President of SPJ Foundation Board

The Maynard Institute congratulates Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu for her election as Vice President of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Foundation board of directors. The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation (formerly Sigma Delta Chi Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) charity with a mission to perpetuate a free press as a cornerstone of our nation through their educational programs and by supporting other journalism organizations that benefit SPJ members. Hsu was elected Vice President in October for a term beginning in 2023.

Evelyn Hsu was elected Vice President to SPJ Foundation Board in October 2022. Photo by Ray Chavez.

About SPJ Foundation Grants and Programs

The SPJ Foundation grants primarily support advocacy for freedom of the press and SPJ members directly but also provide support to organizations that advance the SPJ mission. Grant requests are first reviewed by the Foundation Grants and Awards Committee and then their recommendations are sent to the SPJ Foundation Board of Directors for their review and selection. Read more about the SPJ Foundation’s signature programs.

Maynard 200 Fellowship Director Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the SPJ NorCal Unsung Hero Award

On November 21, 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter (SPJ NorCal) announced the recipients of their 37th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. Maynard 200 Fellowship Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the board award for Unsung Hero. SPJ NorCal has hosted the annual awards banquet every fall for more than three decades to highlight extraordinary contributions of journalists based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and cities and towns throughout the region.

Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the SPJ NorCal Unsung Hero Award in November 2022. Photo by Michelle Felix.

From the press release:

The board honors Odette Alcazaren-Keeley with the Unsung Hero award. As director of the Maynard 200 Fellowship with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, she has built one of the most powerful incubators for journalists of color in the country. She is also president and founding partner of the strategic, multicultural media consultancy Global MediaX. Alcazaren-Keeley’s career commitment to lifting all voices is exemplified in her own words, that we can “heal our democracy together, regardless of and respecting each others’ differing beliefs.”

Join us in Celebrating the Maynard Family Impact

We often use the term Maynard Family to refer to our extended network of founders, program alumni, staff, faculty, and supporters. Hsu and Alcazaren-Keeley are not the only industry leaders affiliated with the Maynard Institute recognized by professional membership associations. Many of our board members and staff are doing important work that aligns with the institute’s core values.

You can read more about the backgrounds and work of the Maynard Institute staff and board members on our website. For the latest Maynard Family updates, be sure to check out our blog and subscribe to our newsletter. Join the Maynard Family and Donate today!

Our latest video coincides with the launch of the Maynard Institute end-of-year fundraising campaign. Watch the brief 2-minute video to learn about the Institute’s mission. Find out makes our programs worthy of your support and donate today! Filmed during the June 2022 session of the Maynard 200 Fellowship program at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, this video includes interviews with Maynard Institute staff as well as Maynard 200 faculty and leaders in the media industry.

Join the fight to ensure newsroom diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

“We have a tremendous history that inspires us,” said Evelyn Hsu, Co-Executive Director of the Maynard Institute. In the wake of Kerner Commission report, a diverse group of journalism founded the Institute in 1977 to challenge the excuses of legacy media for racist hiring practices and news coverage. By providing training programs to journalists of color, the Institute helped ensure that newsrooms could no longer claim a lack of qualified candidates for hire. Since its founding, the impact of our programs stretches beyond hiring practices to journalims itself. “With our graduates who are editors, we can see changes in coverage,” Hsu added.

Co-Executive Director Martin Reynolds said, “We have an obligation to push journalism to understand the impact that it has had when it is perpetuating systemic racism. These institutions—if they are truly going to be seen as worthy of informing a diverse society—they have to get this right.”

Maynard 200 Guest Lecturer and AP Vice President Ron Nixon

Maynard’s staff, faculty and volunteers worktirelessly to provide journalists the skills needed to thrive in the industry through opportunities like the Maynard 200 Fellowship, the Oakland Voices community journalism program, Fault Lines diversity trainings, events and more. This is essential work, but it wouldn’t be possible without supporters like you.

Still going strong after 45 years!

The Maynard Institute was founded in 1977 to promote diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We challenge the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Through programs like the Maynard 200 fellowship, we are creating better representation in America’s newsrooms. The institute offers a range of tuition-free professional development and training programs. The institute also provides consulting services and trainings to help news organizations reach their full potential as equitable, productive and financially sustainable organizations.

We are able to do this work thanks to the generous support of funders and supporters like you! Your tax-deductible donation directly impacts the careers of journalists while supporting the institute’s mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the news media. Donate today!

One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship is designed to advance the careers of investigative storytellers, executive leaders, frontline editors and media entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds (see bios). The fellowship provides professional development training and year-long mentorship. In 2022, media strategist Dickson Louie returned to lead the media entrepreneurship cohort and continued the media entrepreneurship award program originally launched in 2021. Based on the scores from a panel of media business experts, faculty, and Maynard 200 alumni, three fellows, Michael Tennant, Nancy Flores and Lisa D. Tinsley have been recognized for their outstanding media venture pitches.

About the Maynard 200 Media Entrepreneurship Awards

Given to the Fellow with the top overall score from the judges, the Dori J. Maynard Award honors the late president of the Maynard Institute and the daughter of Robert C. Maynard, our co-founder. The amount of this award, which is funded by Dickson Louie each year, is $1,000 and will go toward the operating expenses of the winning start-up.

The Quentin Hope Metrics Award in Entrepreneurship is a $1,000 prize funded by the Maynard Institute. The award honors Quentin Hope, who served as the coach for Institute co-directors Evelyn Hsu and Martin Reynolds in the year-long Media Transformation challenge and helped them define and create metrics for their projects.

We extend our thanks to the 2022 award judges Linda Lloyd da Silva, Peter Lamb, Ned Hawley, Clarisa Strohmeyer, Travers Johnson, Waylae Gregoire, Cathy Eckstein, Caroline Ceniza-Levine and Susan Leath.

Congratulations Media Entrepreneurship Award Winners

Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award

Michael Tennant is the recipient of this year’s Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award for his presentation on his start-up, Curiosity Lab.

Tennant is a founder, writer and movement builder dedicated to spreading tools of empathy and helping people find their purpose. Before founding Curiosity Lab in 2017, he spent 15 years becoming a media, advertising and nonprofit executive, and delivering awardwinning marketing strategies for companies like MTV, Vice, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Sweetgreen and Oatly.

Tennant created Actually Curious, the conversation card game that became a viral sensation in 2020 during the pandemic and the rise of the racial justice movement for helping people to build meaningful connections and tackle important topics facing the world.

He has channeled his business success and momentum into a sustained movement supporting BIPOC and other underrepresented communities through speaking, writing, leadership, mentorship, consulting, partnerships and talent-pipeline programs.

Quentin Hope Metrics Award

In a statistical tie, Nancy Flores and Lisa D. Tinsley are the recipients of this year’s Quentin Hope Metrics Award. This award is given to the Fellow with the top overall score in the metrics category.

Flores had presented on her startup, Austin Vida, a digital news and culture site that amplifies, informs, and celebrates the Latinidad of the Austin community with culturally-competent news.

In addition to editor and publisher of Austin Vida, Nancy is an award-winning local journalist. She founded Cultura Media, Austin Vida’s umbrella organization, and was recently named one of “Austin’s Top Latina Entrepreneurs to Watch” by the digital news outlet Austonia.

Flores grew up in the bordertown of Eagle Pass, Texas, and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She has specialized in writing about underrepresented Central Texas communities, most recently reporting for the Austin American-Statesman and Austin360. Her contributions to Austin’s Latino community recently earned her
the Award of Excellence in Media Arts from the city’s Mexican American Cultural Center. In 2019, Remezcla listed her among the nation’s “Latino Columnists You Should Be Reading.”

Tinsley discussed her venture, KISA Public Radio (KPR), an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to enlighten the world about the African American community. Every day, KISA Public Radio connects with thousands worldwide on the air and online to explore issues affecting the African American community. Programming includes news about health, science, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and more.

Tinsley has worked as a news researcher and archivist for 25 years. She loves to share her research that will enrich the lives of others. Tinsley launched KISA Public Radio in 2017, and when not working as program director of the radio station, she can be found found volunteering with food banks and Habitat for Humanity, traveling with family and friends and watching documentaries.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship Media Entrepreneur Track

Led by Executive-in-Residence Dickson Louie, the Maynard 200 entrepreneurship track is designed to support fellows navigating the modern media landscape. As Principal of Louie & Associates and Lecturer at the University of California Davis Graduate School of Management, Louie has over 25 years of professional management experience within the news media industry. He brings veteran expertise as a planning and business development executive at the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle.

“In this Maynard 200 media entrepreneur track, fellows learn the frameworks that will help increase the odds of their venture’s success: discovering market opportunities, identifying business models, learning how to pitch ideas, setting goals, and leading a start-up team.”
Dickson Louie, Principal of Louie & Associates

In October 2022, Louie received a partial scholarship from IDEO U for their Activating Strategy course, in recognition of his work in co-creating the Summer Strategy Sessions for the Maynard 200 Media Entrepreneurship and Executive Leadership Tracks with Virgil Smith. The scholarship will allow Louie to receive the IDEO U “Human-Centered Strategy” certificattion. IDEO, the parent organization of IDEO U, is a global consulting firm and a pioneer in the concept of design thinking.

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2022 faculty and mentors. In addition to media entrepreneurship, the Maynard 200 program includes three other areas of focus for investigative storytellers, executive leaders, and frontline editors. 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 senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers.

Maynard 200 will return in 2023

The Maynard 200 Fellowship program will continue next year in a hybrid virtual and in-person format hosted at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles, California. Maynard 200 fellows will benefit from tuition-free training and mentorship, plus air travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the Maynard Institute. Subscribe to our newsletter for the call for applications coming soon!

The Maynard Institute will welcome back over 50 Maynard 200 Fellows (see bios) on Tuesday, October 25th, for the second and final in-person training week hosted at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The video below captures the spirit of the first week of the Maynard 200 Fellowship gathering at USC Annenberg earlier this year.

The final day of the October training week will conclude with commencement celebrations and each fellow will be matched with a mentor from their respective field or specialization. The graduation activities will be preceded by a fireside chat with Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director, Martin Reynolds and Kevin Merida, executive editor for the Los Angeles Times. Fellows will also present their final projects, including the review of a special case study prepared by Maynard 200 fellows on the current development strategie of the Los Angeles Times.

Video asks Maynard 200 fellows to describe the program in one word

The new video about the Maynard 200 Fellowship program kicks off with scenes from the 2022 welcome reception, where guests were asked to describe how they felt about the program in one word. From “Inspired” and “honored” to “supported” and “connected,” fellows shared how they felt. The one word spoken into the microphone by Denise Watson, features editor at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press in Virginia, was “empower…that’s what Maynard has always done and that’s what I hope to do.“

Watch the 3 minute video to understand why the Maynard 200 program is so meaningful to both fellows and faculty.

Class of 2022 returns to USC

During the final week of Maynard 200, each track will meet guest faculty speakers and leaders in the industry. We are proud to welcome back previous faculty as well as introduce new guest speakers. To read more about the Maynard 200 faculty roster, check out their full bios (PDF).

In addition to attending training sessions, fellows will also be presenting their final projects including a case study of The Los Angeles Times. As part of the in-person program, fellows will be presenting their case study findings directly to LA Times executive editor, Kevin Merida, and other executives in attendance.

Maynard 200 continues through mentorship

The Maynard 200 Fellowship program doesn’t end with the commencement celebration. One of the lasting positive outcomes of this fellowship is the signature 1:1 mentorship component. After the formal curriculum concludes, fellows are paired with a veteran media professional in their area of interest who has committed to mentoring the fellow for a year. This community building is key to pushing the industry forward.

This year’s mentors comprise a distinguished roster of award-winning media executives, academics, communications professionals and business and entrepreneurship experts. We are pleased to have several Maynard Institute alumni, including graduates from its legacy programs and past Maynard 200 programs, joining us as mentors this year.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

The program is tuition-free thanks to funding by Google News Initiative, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation, the McClatchy Foundation and supporters like you! Your tax-deductible donation directly impacts the careers of journalists while supporting the institute’s mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the news media.

We are creating better representation in newsrooms through our Maynard 200 fellowship program, which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, successful managers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Donate today!

Applications are now closed.

Is your news organization ready to establish a more equitable workplace and provide better coverage of underserved communities? Subscribe for email updates about our next program application period.

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What makes this program unique? The Equity & Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program leverages an embedded coaching model to help news organizations better inform underserved communities and establish workplace cultures of belonging. Our goal is to help newsrooms become more equitable and inclusive in their reporting, workplace, and in the communities they serve. The team of consultants piloting the program curriculum will work closely with Maynard Institute facilitators who are steeped in the Fault Lines® training methodology. As the extended application deadline approaches on October 14, we asked the program’s consultants why they think organizations should apply. Read their bios to learn more about their expertise and check out their quotes below.

Foster innovation and nurture a sense of belonging at your organization

“Too often diversity efforts are performative. We want to operationalize belonging so that BIPOC and folks of diverse backgrounds can thrive and contribute even more meaningfully to the growth, sustainability and credibility of the outlets where they work. We want to show that when organizations invest in equity and inclusion, working relationships between people improve, there is less labor strife, attrition and toxicity. Newsrooms that center the concept of belonging foster innovation, better journalism, and more importantly, the capacity to build or repair relationships with communities. We are excited to see what we can create through this program.”

Martin G. Reynolds, Co-Executive Director of the Maynard Institute

Increase the potential for revolutionary impact in your community

“Newsrooms face multiple levels of revolution internally and externally: from changing community and newsroom demographics and social and political tensions, to differing generational expectations about inclusion, work and journalism ethics. This program offers the opportunity to examine your dynamics, learn about who you are, how you work together and what your impact has been and could be on each other and in your communities. This holistic, in-depth approach aspires to help journalists of today face complex challenges with empowering insight and tools.”

Mei-Ling Hopgood, Maynard Institute program researcher and Professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication at Northwestern University

Ensure your organization’s long-term sustainability

“Newsrooms are feeling the pressure and urgency when it comes to understanding and implementing best practices surrounding DEI. We are excited to support organizations as they grow in their knowledge and implement sustainable, long term investments towards strengthening the equity and inclusion in their respective newsrooms.”

Kate Sultuska, Global Equity Collective

Further your organization’s brand and goals

“What would it mean for your news organization to be deeply understood and deeply challenged to grow in its diversity goals? Our mission is to partner with you in that process through the Newsroom Transformation Program program. Our team holds expert credentials in journalism, law, professional leadership, counseling, management, social policy, and advanced DEIB training. This background makes us uniquely positioned to understand your newsroom’s internal DEIB challenges and opportunities, as well as the essential community connections and impacts a newsroom must negotiate in today’s world. DEIB has an important role to play in your institution’s news voice and identity, and we promise to be a collaborative guide on that journey.”

Carol Ross-Burnett, CRB LLC

Acknowledge the urgency and societal demands for transformation

“There’s never been a more urgent time for newsrooms to grapple with inequity in their own businesses and in society. We are proud to be part of this important initiative.”

Anasstassia Baichorova, Global Equity Collective

Contribute to assist media outlets for a brighter future

“This initiative presents a great opportunity to bring experts in the field together to lead two news organizations toward sustainable, equitable change. Our goal is to test methodologies, re-test, and document the processes of both pilot programs in order to replicate the work to assist future media outlets that want to make meaningful change.”

Felecia D. Henderson, Director of Cultural Competency at the Maynard Institute

About the Program – Applications due October 14

The Newsroom Transformation Program will provide two news organizations with the opportunity to develop the tools needed to implement a sense of belonging and equity in the newsroom. The goal is to create a professional learning experience that will benefit a media outlet. The Maynard Institute wants to help contribute to best practices in community journalism and to the implementation of the Fault Lines® framework.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. Application responses will be used to determine your training needs and how the training can build upon your existing knowledge, skills, and experiences. Learn more.

Photo by Henry Fuhrmann via Twitter.

We at the Maynard Institute were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Henry Fuhrmann’s sudden passing on September 14, 2022. His staunch allyship serves as enduring inspiration for us all. We are humbled by Fuhrmann’s support of the institute’s programs to further diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism. We were fortunate to spend time with Henry at the institute’s networking reception at the 2022 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention. At the news of his death, AAJA announced Fuhrmann would receive the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for “his lifelong dedication to excellence in journalism, his leadership through humble service, his generous mentorship of future generations, and commitment to AAJA.”

(L-R) Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Pete Camarillo, Henry Fuhrmann at the AAJA 2022 Convention

Beloved USC Professor and Mentor

Fuhrmann’s mentorship has transformed the path of many emerging journalists. He joined the USC Annenenberg Media Center as an adjunct instructor and writing coach in 2016. A statement from USC Annenberg honored the late professsor, “Known for his kindness and expertise, Fuhrmann indisputably left a mark on USC Annenberg and the Media Center, both on its students and teachers alike.”

Fuhrmann’s support of the institute included being part of the faculty for the inaugural class of Maynard 200 in 2018. He shared his expertise as a veteran editor of the Los Angeles Times, providing the fellows with concrete skills in self editing and copy editing to embolden their narrative writing.

Later, Fuhrmann also served as a mentor for Maynard 200 Fellow Samantha Guzman. Executive Editor of Decibel at Austin PBS, Guzman graduated from the Fellowship’s executive leadership program in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guzman and Furhmann were not able to meet in person until 2022. As outpourings of appreciation for Fuhrmann spread online, Guzman tweeted “I don’t know what I would have done without Henry’s guidance during some of my most challenging times.”

Photo and tweet by Maynard 200 Fellow Samantha Guzman of meeting mentor Henry Fuhrmann for the first time in person in Austin, Texas.

His legacy as an industry leader

As the rise of the internet was forever changing journalism, Fuhrmann helped his newsroom navigate the new terrain of blogging. The Los Angeles Times reported: “In the 2000s he was deputy editor of the Business section, and later, as more stories were being published online, he helped create style and usage rules for the new medium where none had existed.”

Fuhrmann, a self-described “word nerd,” also initiated changes in the newsroom to retire other outdated terms, such as replacing “transvestite” with “transgender.” He also campaigned to replace the word “internment” when describing the forcible incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

In addition to Fuhrmann’s advances at the Times, his role as thought leader has had a lasting impact on the industry as a whole. In 2019, Fuhrmann successfully advocated for dropping the hyphen in words like “Asian-American” and “African-American.” He wrote in his essay for the Conscious Style Guide, “Those hyphens serve to divide even as they are meant to connect. Their use in racial and ethnic identities can connote as otherness, a sense that people of color are somehow not full citizens or fully American.” Fuhrmann’s essay influenced the AP Stylebook to remove the hyphen.

We extend our sincere condolences to Fuhrmann’s family and friends of Fuhrmann. As a dearly departed member of the Maynard family, we will honor hime by continuing to fight for fairness in this industry.

The Maynard Institute has trained journalists of color for over 45 years, so there are always alumni promotions and wins to celebrate! Check out the latest alumni updates from the summer and fall of 2022.

Brianna Tucker (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2022) becomes deputy politics editor at the Washington Post

In her new role, Tucker will help drive campaign and congressional coverage aimed at engaging the next generation of Post readers and subscribers. She has worked at the Washington Post on the newsletter team since 2021. She is in the Frontline Editors and Managers track of the Maynard 200 Fellowship.

Delonte Harrod (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2021) and The Intersection Magazine join Black Headline News

The Intersection Magazine, joined Black Headline News, a partnership of Black-owned media outlets, as founding member. Harrod, a Maynard 200 Felloship entrepreneur track alumni, founded the digital publication in 2020.
“The Black Headline News (BHN) channel is a collaborative movement, highlighting the importance of disseminating valuable information to communities across the nation from a Black perspective. The collective effort gives Black-owned media outlets a free, unified, safe, platform to connect with online readers, viewers, and listeners nationwide, sharing content across the world diaspora, expanding their reach, brand, and audience,” says the BNC’s call to action.

Lottie Joiner becomes the New Verite Managing Editor (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2021)

Joiner, an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience covering issues that impact underserved and marginalized communities, is joining Verite’s newsroom leadership team as assistant managing editor. Lottie was a Maynard 200 Fellow with a focus on executive leadership and a 2021 participant in the Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media program.

Robin Turner (Editing Program 1985) becomes new VP, Training, Culture and Community at Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal

The longtime diversity, equity and inclusion executive was most recently the Director of Editorial Diversity Initiatives at Politico, before joining the the team at Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal, where she will focus on Dow Jones newsrooms, as well as working with leaders and others across company verticals to drive DEI strategy into all aspects of our global business. She helped to found the Politico Journalism Institute (PJI), an initiative to advance young journalists of color, in 2014, with guidance from Dori Maynard and Evelyn Hsu of the Maynard Institute of Journalism.

Media venture by Michael Tennant (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2022) is featured on Good Morning America

Tennant is the founder of Curiosity Lab, a movement to spread empathy. Actually Curious, the empathy card game created by Curiosity Lab, was recently featured on a segment for Good Morning America. The Maynard 200 2022 Fellow focusing on entrepreneurship, describes the deck as “a conversation card game that uses the science and psychology of trust-building and emotional connection to bring people closer together.”

Teresa Frontado (Multimedia Editing Program 2012) joined WAMU as executive editor

With over 20 years of experience working as a bilingual journalist and editor for media organizations in the United States and Latin America, Frontado joins the NPR affiliate in Washington, DC, WAMU 88.5. She most recently worked as the executive editor for the NPR affiliate in Austin, Texas for over 2 years.

Leroy Adams (Maynard 200 Fellow 2019) receives capital investment for his Black travel magazine, The Buddy Pass

Adams founded The Buddy Pass in 2018 based on a mission to promote, celebrate, and encourage Black travel. The 2019 Maynard 200 Fellowship alum received capital investment, multi-year content partnership from the yet-unnamed entity. Adams commented that, “Everything I learned from Maynard–from the business model canvas to the practice pitch sessions–helped me get here.”

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

For 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 U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Visit the Maynard Institute website to learn more.

Are you an alumni with exciting professional news?

Contact Community Engagement Manager, Ava Macha, at amacha@mije.org to be featured in our next Maynard Family Update.