From Our Archive
Sept. 2, 1999
Scripps Howard
Foundation establishes
fellowships for international students
CINCINNATI -- The Scripps Howard Foundation and
the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism have established
the Jack R. Howard Fellowships in International Journalism,
providing scholarships to four international students a year
beginning this fall.
"The journalism
school extends its deepest gratitude to the Scripps Howard
Foundation for its generous contribution to our international
student community," said Tom Goldstein, dean of the graduate
school of journalism. "The challenges journalists face are
taking on global dimensions, with reporters called upon to
understand and interpret the rapid political, social and
economic changes taking place internationally. It is our hope
that generations of reporters worldwide will graduate from the
school equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to
and advocate for free press practices."
Judith G. Clabes,
president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation, said the
fellowships in international journalism are "a fitting tribute
to Jack Howard, a man whose intensity and dedication to a free
press were known the world over. I know Jack would be proud
that the foundation that bears his family's name is helping
journalism students from around the globe embrace the ideals
to which he devoted a lifetime."
The students
selected to receive scholarships for the 1999-2000 academic
year are Nguyen My Ha, Vietnam; Ylva Norberg, Sweden; Alfredo
Sepulveda, Chile; and Alieu Sheriff, Sierra Leone.
The journalism school's international program admits
about 40 students a year from more than 20 countries. In
recent years, the popularity of the journalism school has
increased abroad, but many qualified candidates are unable to
attend due to limited financial aid.
The Jack R. Howard
Fellowships (a total of more than $40,000 a student) will
provide full tuition and living expenses for four students a
year. The initial grant covers the next three years. The
Howard Fellowships are expected to benefit especially students
from developing countries, who often do not have the money to
study abroad. Students will study the techniques of fact-based
reporting and the practices of a free press, the mainstay of
the journalism school's curriculum. The expectation is that
graduates will return home and make substantial contributions
to the development of journalism in their own
countries.
To qualify for the
fellowship, candidates must reside outside the United States.
Recipients will be selected on the basis of financial need,
academic promise and a desire to make a significant
contribution to journalism.
International
students have attended Columbia's journalism school since its
early days, but in recent years, the school has been looking
to expand its international program. This September, for
instance, the annual Maria Moors Cabot Prize ceremony honoring
excellence in Latin American reporting, will be held as a
benefit dinner to raise scholarship money for international
journalism students.
Dedicated to
excellence in journalism, the Scripps Howard Foundation is a
leader in industry efforts in journalism education,
scholarships, internships, literacy, minority
recruitment/development and First Amendment causes. The
fellowships honor the late Jack R. Howard, a founding trustee
and past president of the Scripps Howard Foundation. Howard
also served as president and general editorial manager of The
E.W. Scripps Company, parent company for the Scripps Howard
newspapers and television station group.
"The Scripps Howard
Foundation has made a visionary grant that will enormously
assist the journalism school in addressing the issues of
global journalism and journalism that serves an international
social concern," said Anne Nelson, director of the
international program.
Contact: Patty Cottingham, Scripps Howard Foundation, 513-977-3847, cottingham@scripps.com