HBCU STUDENT REPORTING NETWORK

The Open Campus Media project is highlighting under-covered issues

The Open Campus Media project is highlighting under-covered issues

Open Campus Media Co-founders Sara Hebel and Scott Smallwood saw an opportunity to meet multiple challenges with one fellowship. The editors of the nonprofit covering higher education saw that Historically Black colleges and universities were not receiving the coverage they needed. At the same time, they wanted to give Black student journalists more training and opportunities to take into the workforce. They launched the HBCU Student Reporting Network in January, hiring six fellows to cover their campuses in a broader context.

“At Open Campus Media, we are trying to improve the coverage of higher education across the country and closing gaps in that coverage,” Hebel said. “And one of the big gaps is, of course, the coverage of HBCUS. They’ve played a critical role in our higher education system and our country’s history, and their coverage is often narrow and limited. So, we wanted to try to find ways to cover all aspects of these institutions and the roles that they play. And at the same time, we’re very interested, as well, in helping diversify and grow the journalism pipeline in this country.”

Each student works with a mentor to help sharpen their reporting skills, and the organization works with distribution partners to increase the reach of their stories and enable fellows to graduate with clips and a network. Capital B, a Blackled nonprofit organization reporting for Black communities nationwide, is a regular distribution partner. The Washington Post published an article co-written by Open Campus National Reporter Naomi Harris and Fellow Skylar Stephens about the low numbers of men enrolling in HBCUS. Fellows Brittany Patterson and Tyuanna Williams co-wrote an article for Capital B about Parent PLUS loans and how they can debilitate Black families. Fellow Auzzy Byrdsell wrote about what it means to be a Black man,

Jasper Smith wrote about Black women returning to college, and Alivia Welch co-wrote an article about the campus water system in Jackson, Mississippi.

The program is funded through grants from the Knight Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and the Scripps Howard Fund.

Each fellow receives a $1,200 monthly stipend over the semesterlong fellowship.

“That was important to us,” Smallwood said. “Students are really busy. They have a lot going on.”

The idea for the program stemmed from Jarrett Carter Sr. and his HBCU Digest. He serves as the program mentor. Wesley Wright, the assistant director of student media at Florida Atlantic University, is the program’s assistant editor. He said he has seen students improve their skills and gain confidence through the program.

“We really see some value in seeing how the lightbulb comes on for the student journalists,” Wright said. “They’re much more seasoned than they were in January, and now they’re using that going out into the job market. It will help them in a way they may not have gotten working for the student newspaper… So it’s been wonderful for them to get an opportunity to address some topics in higher education that they may not have been able to broach otherwise.”

He said the program allows students to examine topics at their campuses in a broader context, such as issues facing rural HBCUS.

“A lot of times, the students are the only consistent presence in their communities, so it’s better for the community if they know how to report on their institution,” he said. “In a lot of cities, the university might be the biggest employer, or it might be a bellwether for the economy.” ■