Applications Open:
18th annual Minority Writers Seminar
(fully funded | US)
Deadline: 15 March 2013
March 15 is the deadline to apply for the 18th annual Minority Writers Seminar May 2-5 in Nashville.
"Experienced minority journalists receive intense training for writing opinion in a ‘boot-camp’ environment and hear presentations from nationally known speakers," said program director Tommy Denton, retired editorial page editor and past president of the Association of Opinion Journalists Foundation.
AOJ Foundation sponsors the highly successful seminar in partnership with the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University.
Enrollment is limited to 12 minority journalists, including those who have been writing opinion less than two years. AOJ Foundation pays for lodging and food at the Seminar and reimburses up to $200 for transportation to and from Nashville.
Denton said the program’s purpose is to give minority journalists an opportunity to explore the nuts-and-bolts of opinion writing by attending simulated editorial board meetings and writing two opinion pieces that are critiqued by veteran opinion journalists on the faculty.
Andre Jackson, editorial editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who will join the faculty this year, said of his participation in the Seminar in 2008, “I will always be grateful to the Minority Writers Seminar for helping me quickly break through the mental challenge I faced as a newcomer to opinion writing — which was the need to actually insert opinions into my work. As the AJC’s Jay Bookman told me shortly after signing on, ‘You’re exercising a muscle you’ve never had to use before.’ ’’
FACULTY:
SPEAKERS:
- Vanessa Gallman: Editorial page editor, Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky, former Seminar director, past president of AOJ and AOJ Foundation
- Andre Jackson: Editorial editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AJC.com
- Chuck Stokes: Editorial/public affairs director for WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit, past president of AOJ and AOJ Foundation
CONTACT INFORMATION:
- Dr. Sybril Bennett: Associate professor of journalism, Belmont University, two-time Emmy winning multimedia journalist
- Val Hoeppner: Manager of multimedia education, Freedom Forum Diversity Institute
- Rick Horowitz: Founder and “Wordsmith in Chief” of Prime Prose, Emmy-winning commentator for Milwaukee Public TV, former syndicated columnist
- Gene Policinski: Vice president/executive director, First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, AOJ Foundation board member
- John Seigenthaler: Chair emeritus, The Tennessean, founder of First Amendment Center
For queries: Joan Armour at joan@armour-armour.com
For submissions: via the online application form
Website: http://www.minoritywritersseminar.org/