The Daily Utah Chronicle is one of nine student media organizations chosen to participate in the Poynter College Media Project, the Poynter Institute announced Monday. More than 60 schools applied to participate in the second year of the project.
“Applications were screened for potential, need, commitment, diversity in student population, school size and type,” read Poynter’s press release.
Poynter will connect staff at The Chronicle with in-person training and webinars, as well as guidance and funding for a campus project.
In its application, The Chronicle appealed to the importance of student journalists being equipped to carry out in-depth coverage of breaking news events on campus and effectively conduct investigative reporting.
“The college press plays a critical role in civic engagement on campus,” said Poynter senior vice president Kelly McBride in the release. “They are a check on the power of the administration. And they expose students to diverse ideas. We’re thrilled to expand Poynter’s College Media Project this year to reach more students in the critical moments of their early careers.”
Other schools participating in the project are Bowdoin College, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University, San Diego State University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, St. John’s University, Texas A&M University, the University of Florida and the University of Michigan.
The 2018-19 project is led by award-winning journalists Elissa Yancey and Fara Warner. Warner is a graduate of the University of Utah who worked on staff at The Chronicle from 1984 to 1988.
“It’s not about delivering a one-time training,” Yancey said in the release. “It’s about planting the seeds for sustained growth and supporting student journalists who have few other places to turn. This project provides tools student journalists can use in both the short- and long-term to create better work and engage with their communities.”