NBCUniversal News Group has launched NBCU Academy, a multiplatform journalism training and development programme for diverse university and community college students through education, on-campus training, and online programming.
The move is in keeping with Comcast NBCUniversal and NBCU News Group’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The multi-year partnership involves 17 academic partners with significant minority populations – reaching diverse students from underrepresented groups.
Academic partners include:
- Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, NY
- California State University, Fullerton in Fullerton, CA
- Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC
- Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA
- Dallas College in Dallas, TX
- El Camino College in Torrance, CA
- Florida International University in Miami, FL
- Hampton University in Hampton, VA
- Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM
- Miami Dade College in Miami, FL
- Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD
- North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC
- Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg, SC
- The City College of New York in New York, NY
- University of North Texas in Denton, TX
- University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, TX
- Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, LA
The initiative includes a curated onsite curriculum for a hands-on learning experience with world-class NBCU News Group journalists, funding for accredited journalism programmes and scholarships.
“Creating an inclusive culture for journalism that represents the communities we serve is at the very core of what we do,” said NBCU News Group Chairman Cesar Conde.
“Through NBCU Academy, we have the opportunity to widen our extraordinary legacy by building on-ramps for a talented generation of journalists and storytellers who—for so long—may have been overlooked.”
NBCU Academy will invest a total of $6.5 million to the initiative, including scholarships worth $3.5 million over the next two years. Besides providing equipment and developing seminar courses, NBCU News Group teams will participate as guest lecturers to give real-world offer insight and mentorship for diverse students.
It will also create and offer educational content to help inform, inspire-, and develop early-career professionals and seasoned journalists who wish to stay updated on changes in this fast-moving industry.
The Academy builds on the foundation of NBC University, which NBC News launched nearly a decade ago as a training programme for young journalism professionals at diversity journalism conferences and conventions, including at the Asian American Journalists Association, The National Association of Black Journalists and many more. NBCU Academy is an expansion of that initiative, offering new institutional partnerships.
In June 2020, Comcast NBCUniversal announced a multi-year $100 million commitment to address systemic racism and inequality. NBCU Academy is part of that pledge and focuses on providing tools, resources, and platforms for young, underrepresented voices.
