News Releases
PHOENIX, AZ (January 28, 2008) – Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP), KPHO-TV CBS 5 and The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University describe their second annual nationwide fellowship program as a success for both the participants and the organizers.
“The students got hands-on, professional experience, and we had the opportunity to preview talented students for possible work at our 12 broadcast stations,” said Paul Karpowicz, President of the Meredith Broadcasting Group.
Twelve top minority broadcast journalism students from colleges across the country spent a week earlier this month working with instructors from the Cronkite School and KPHO managers and staff. The participants were chosen from a pool of applicants who submitted a resume, tape and references for evaluation in October. Students chosen to participate received a stipend to cover travel, lodging and meal expenses.
“This experience was priceless,” said Arielle Clay from Birmingham, AL. “I can’t even put my finger on everything I learned during the fellowship. It has absolutely shaped me as a journalist.”
Students had the opportunity to learn from KPHO news professionals on topics such as how to create compelling live shots, produce strong newscasts, find and develop great stories, learn newsroom ethics, and become a newsroom leader.
In addition to the group sessions, participants culminated the week by creating a 30-minute newscast that was taped on the last day of the fellowship. Students were assigned their duties based on the interests they have – those with an interest in reporting found stories, researched them, shot them, and edited them. Students who aspire to be producers wrote and produced the broadcast under deadline pressure as well.
“This was a week-long boot camp to prepare me for the real world of journalism,” said Joshua Molina of Phoenix, AZ. “The experience has motivated me and definitely will set me apart from my classmates this semester.”
“Meeting and working with other students as committed to journalism as I am was very stimulating,” said Danielle Stubbs of Atlanta, GA. “I know now that you don’t really know what it takes to be in this business until you are a Meredith – Cronkite fellow.”
“We identified two goals as we developed the program – to provide students with a newsroom experience with real-world deadlines and to give students access to working news professionals,” said Steve Hammel, KPHO Vice-President and General Manager. “Going through this program should give these students an edge when they compete for their first job.”
The Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University is a nationally recognized professional program that prepares students for careers as reporters, editors, producers, and anchors. The school’s dean, Chris Callahan, says their participation in the fellowship program was very fulfilling.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with how the fellowship went,” Callahan said. “The students left on Saturday with a real world understanding of how a newsroom works and what it takes to get a job in broadcast journalism. We are proud to work with Meredith Corporation and KPHO to educate these students and to hopefully bring more minority talent into the business.”
Meredith Corporation, KPHO CBS 5 and the Cronkite School plan to host their third annual minority fellowship next year. The call for applicants for next year’s program will begin in the spring.
About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation (www.meredith.com) is one of the nation's leading media and marketing companies with core competencies in magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting, integrated marketing and interactive media. Meredith owns 12 television stations that reach nearly 10 percent of television households across the country. Meredith’s Broadcasting assets include: WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta; KPHO-TV (CBS), Phoenix, AZ; KPTV (FOX) and KPDX-TV (MYN), Portland, OR; WFSB-TV (CBS), Hartford-New Haven, CT; WSMV-TV (NBC), Nashville, TN; KCTV (CBS) and KSMO (MYN), Kansas City, MO; WHNS-TV (FOX), Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC-Asheville, NC; WNEM-TV (CBS), Flint-Saginaw, MI; KVVU-TV (FOX), Las Vegas, NV; WSHM, (CBS) Springfield, MA; and radio station WNEM-AM in Saginaw-Bay City, MI.