Applications Now Open for Second Round of Public Media’s Editorial Integrity and Leadership Fellowship

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 13, 2024) — Poynter and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the second cohort of the 2023-2025 Public Media Editorial Integrity and Leadership Program. 

This nine-month fellowship, funded by CPB and developed and administered by Poynter, will train a total of 50 fellows to accelerate their ability to uphold journalism’s highest editorial standards, lead through change, foster innovation, create an audience-focused strategy and cultivate thriving news organizations.

“(This training) has given me the tools to be a better leader,” said Vicki Adame, managing editor at KUNR Public Radio and a member of the first 24-person cohort that began in 2023. “It has helped me see the areas where I can work better with my team — especially when it comes to equitable workloads. But most of all, it has helped me open better lines of communications with my reporters.”

This dynamic program for leadership-minded public media journalists is now open to a second cohort of Fellows from U.S.-based newsrooms. Applications are due April 22. There is no cost to the Fellow or their employers, thanks to funding from CPB.

“Skilled editors are essential as public media newsrooms seek to tell important, nuanced stories of their communities amid the flood of mis- and disinformation in the media marketplace,” said Kathy Merritt, CPB senior vice president, Radio, Journalism and CSG Services. “The Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative aims to strengthen the ability of news managers to guide public media’s growing newsrooms and ensure ethical decision-making.”

The first iteration of the program, also funded by CPB, trained 100 public media newsroom leaders in 2019 and 2020 at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. 

“Public media is a growing and vital part of the news landscape, and it will continue expanding both in size and impact,” said Kelly McBride, Poynter’s senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. “The Poynter Institute is thrilled to work with CPB again to identify and prepare newsroom leaders to strengthen the journalism that is so vital to both the communities they serve and our entire democracy.”

Participants for the second cohort will be notified no later than June and gather at Poynter for a week starting on Sept. 30. Applicants who weren’t selected for the first cohort can apply again for the second one.

Fellows from the first cohort said the training has improved their effectiveness at setting and meeting goals, prepared them for difficult conversations, and increased their confidence in their leadership skills.

Here are some more of their comments about the Public Media Editorial Integrity and Leadership Program:

“The program has helped me communicate more effectively with reporters regarding expectations. I believe the fellowship has also assisted me in better analyzing the journalistic purpose behind stories that we cover.” — Erica McIntosh, senior regional editor for southern Connecticut, Connecticut Public Broadcasting

“I've had more confidence in having hard conversations that include an element of conflict. I'm also trying to think in terms of strengths when it comes to my reporters, and allowing them to lead with those. It gives me a confidence boost when I'm feeling like I'm incapable or burnt out.” — Caroline Ballard, assistant news director, KUER, Salt Lake City

“The fellowship is doing wonders for my willingness and ability to hold my team accountable, which for me is the most difficult part of managing people. None of this works if I and they don’t meet our individual goals. This fellowship has helped me develop not only the tools but the confidence to have those difficult conversations around accountability.” — LaToya Dennis, news director and managing editor, WMFE, Orlando, Florida

“The most significant impact from this fellowship thus far has been its ability to give me confidence to make decisions in my newsroom. I have been much better at delegating and having tough discussions. It has also given me the confidence to advocate for newsroom practices with other leaders at the station.” — Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado, news director, KVPR, central California

Applications for the second round of fellows for the Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative are due April 22. Apply now. 

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television, and related online services.  For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe for email updates.

About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit working to address society’s most pressing issues by teaching journalists and journalism, covering the media and the complexities facing the industry, convening and community building, improving the capacity and sustainability of news organizations and fostering trust and reliability of information. The Institute is a gold standard in journalistic excellence and dedicated to the preservation and advancement of press freedom in democracies worldwide. Through Poynter, journalists, newsrooms, businesses, big tech corporations and citizens convene to find solutions that promote trust and transparency in news and stoke meaningful public discourse. The world’s top journalists and emerging media leaders rely on the Institute to learn new skills, adopt best practices, better serve audiences, scale operations and improve the quality of the universally shared information ecosystem.]

The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), MediaWise and PolitiFact are all members of the Poynter organization.

Support for Poynter and our entities upholds the integrity of the free press and the U.S. First Amendment and builds public confidence in journalism and media — an essential for healthy democracies. Learn more at poynter.org.