CBC-UNC Diversity Fellows Staci Green (left) and Alex Whittler prepare to anchor a newscast during the 2016 program this past March.
The UNC School of Media and Journalism announced today that Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC) will support two national media diversity initiatives administered by the school.
Capitol Broadcasting’s gift supports the Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Education and Media and the CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship Program over the next four years.
“Journalism can only truly improve society when it provides perspectives that reflect the diverse experiences of the citizens it serves,” said Jim Goodmon, Capitol Broadcasting president and CEO.
The CBC-UNC Diversity Program — now entering its fifth year — is a highly competitive fellowship for 12 top University seniors or graduate students within six months of graduation and pursuing broadcast journalism careers. It is an intensive, hands-on, 5-day workshop led by professionals at WRAL-TV and UNC journalism faculty. Participants — who receive stipends for travel, meals and lodging — produce reports and newscasts in state-of-the-art facilities, create clips for their professional reels and make valuable industry contacts.
WRAL photographer Richard Adkins advises a fellow Zhan Zhang on the editing of her story during the 2016 CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship at the station.
The MJ-school launched the Chuck Stone Program in 2007 to honor civil rights journalist and former faculty member Chuck Stone. The program’s objective is to inspire the next generation of young journalists and media professionals and to increase diversity in the industry. Each year, 12 high school seniors are selected for the workshop, that includes classroom study, real-world reporting, newsroom practice and professional mentorship.
“We believe in preparing our youth for the next generation of journalism,” said Steven D. Hammel, vice president and general manager of WRAL-TV and FOX 50. “The Chuck Stone Program identifies and develops promising young talent in high school, and the CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship Program helps propel recent college grads into their careers on a track toward journalism and leadership. We are proud to support both of these programs that create a pipeline of diversity into the industry.”
This year’s Stone Program was to feature a keynote by UNC MJ-school master’s alumna Nikole Hannah-Jones ’03, an investigative reporter for The New York Times since 2015 who covers civil rights and racial injustice. When the 2016 Peabody Award winner was called to cover the aftermath of the Dallas shootings, Barry Saunders — columnist for The News & Observer and protégé of Stone — stepped in to address current students and alumni of the program.
“This partnership is important for our school and for students who dream about being part of America’s important conversations,” said Susan King, dean of the school. “Capitol Broadcasting represents a commitment to excellence and strengthening community in all that it does — values that our faculty, staff, students and alumni share.”
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Steve Hammel for this capcom story & to WRAL-TV’s Larry McGill and WRAL.com’s Jodi Glusco for these capcom photos.
