Today, NBCUniversal debuted their newly established NBCU Academy, a training and development program for various community colleges and four-year university students focused on multi-platform journalism and training.
In a press release sent to The Root, the new academy will include “a curated onsite curriculum for a hands-on learning experience with world-class NBCU News Group journalists, funding for accredited journalism programs and scholarships.” NBCUniversal has partnered with nearly 20 HBCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Colleges with Significant Black, Indigenous and People of Color Populations as a part of their multiyear, multimillion-dollar pledge made back in June 2020.
“Creating an inclusive culture for journalism that represents the communities we serve is at the very core of what we do,” NBCU News Group Chairman Cesar Conde said in a statement. “Through NBCU Academy, we have the opportunity to widen our extraordinary legacy by building on-ramps for a talented generation of journalists and storytellers who—for so long—may have been overlooked.” More on NBCU Academy per the press release:
NBCU Academy will invest a total of $6.5 million to the initiative, including scholarships worth $3.5 million over the next two years. In addition to providing equipment and collaborating with professors to develop seminar courses, NBCU News Group journalists, executives and management from editorial and production teams across NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC and Telemundo will participate as guest lecturers to provide real-world insight and mentorship. Academic partners include:
Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, NY, California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, CA, Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC, Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA, Dallas College in Dallas, TX, El Camino College in Torrance, CA, Florida International University in Miami, FL, Hampton University in Hampton, V, Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, Miami Dade College in Miami, FL, Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg, SC, The City College of New York in New York, NY, University of North Texas in Denton, TX, University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, TX, and Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, LA.
This latest effort stands on the shoulders of NBC University, launched nearly a decade ago by NBC News, a training program geared toward young journalism professionals at diversity journalism conferences and conventions.