New Scholarship for Aboriginal Journalists

Journalists for Human Rights and Loyalist College announce a new scholarship for emerging Aboriginal journalists in Ontario.

TORONTO, March 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) and Loyalist College are proud to announce a new scholarship opportunity for emerging Aboriginal journalists in Ontario.

The JHR and Loyalist College Aboriginal Reporters Scholarship will give two emerging Aboriginal journalists the opportunity to attend the Loyalist-Trent eight-week summer institute in journalism. Scholarship recipients will study the fundamentals of reporting and technical journalism skills with students enrolled in the Trent-Loyalist Joint Major in Journalism.

Scholarship recipients will be selected from a talented pool of candidates who have participated in community-based media training during JHR's Northern Ontario Initiative.

JHR's Executive Director Rachel Pulfer believes this scholarship will increase opportunities for Aboriginal people to pursue post-secondary studies in journalism. "This is a great step forward in JHR's efforts to ensure that Aboriginal people have access to the resources they need to become journalists, and we're happy to be working with Loyalist to make that access a reality."

Kathleen Bazkur, Acting Dean of Media, Arts + Design at Loyalist College, believes the benefits to all students will be meaningful. "We celebrate inclusive learning and we're delighted to be working with Journalists for Human Rights to help shape future journalists with diverse stories to tell."

The Loyalist-Trent Summer Institute in Journalism will take place at Loyalist College Campus in Belleville, Ontario throughout May and June 2014. The scholarship will cover participants' tuition and accommodation costs for the duration of the program.

JHR's Northern Ontario Initiative, launched in June 2013, is a community-based media development project. JHR journalism trainers work with emerging Aboriginal journalists to increase their capacity to report on and from their communities while selling their work to mainstream media outlets. This work has enabled Aboriginal people to have a greater voice in Canadian media while also building economic opportunities for Aboriginal people in media. Additionally, JHR has been working with non-Aboriginal journalists to build their capacity to report more effectively on Aboriginal communities.

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Notes for Editors:

Journalists for Human Rights (www.jhr.ca) is Canada's leading media development organization. JHR helps journalists build their capacity to report ethically and effectively on human rights and governance issues in their communities. Since 2002, JHR has trained over 12,500 journalists whose stories have reached over 50 million people.

JHR currently has projects in Jordan, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Northern Ontario.

Loyalist College prepares students for a rewarding career by combining rigorous academic standards with hands-on training from industry experts. Programs range from apprenticeships and certificates to diplomas and post-graduate studies. Loyalist offers 65 full-time programs and 77 university transfer agreements around the world. The best testament to the College's value is from students, 96 percent of whom say they would recommend Loyalist to a friend. Loyalist is committed to helping students find great jobs, as well as supporting and enhancing the economic and social development of all individuals in its communities.

SOURCE: jhr (Journalists for Human Rights)

For more information about the JHR-Loyalist College Aboriginal Reporters Scholarship or the Northern Ontario Initiative, please contact Claire Hastings, JHR's Director of Community Engagement at [email protected], 416 413 0240 ext. 206