The School of Global Journalism and Communication at historically Black Morgan State University has partnered with The Wall Street Journal to provide business-journalism exposure to students, support the school’s faculty with tools and information to use in the classroom, and provide insight into the professional skills and reporting experiences the Journal seeks in recruiting and hiring. The program will launch this spring.
“As a founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, I have a deep appreciation for the need to move beyond talk, to action, when it comes to newsroom diversity,” said DeWayne Wickham, dean of the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University. “In initiating a partnership with Morgan’s School of Global Journalism and Communication, The Wall Street Journal speaks with a voice that rises above the din of those media companies whose talk about diversity doesn’t match their action.”
The partnership will involve an exchange of classroom instruction, mentoring and newsroom visits for a selection of students and faculty, both in New York and on Morgan’s campus in Baltimore. University faculty will have access to select Journal newsroom training sessions, and one faculty member will be embedded in the newsroom during the summer. Newspaper professionals will serve as mentors, facilitate training sessions, and assist with programming as part of the newsroom visits.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Morgan State,” said Matt Murray, editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal. “The partnership certainly reflects our commitment to creating real opportunities that bring greater diversity to the Journal and journalism, as well as our interest in helping train the journalists of tomorrow. Most of all, we’re excited because there are so many great stories to tell and so much important work to do, and we can’t wait to see what these journalists do.”
