NEWS

CHAPEL HILL – A workshop for North Carolina minority high school students interested in journalism will be held from March 19-21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Applications are due Jan. 30.

Speakers, résumé and portfolio critiques and a taste of Carolina student life will be part of the workshop, offered by the Carolina Association of Black Journalists and the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Students will meet with school faculty members, speakers and media professionals. Topics discussed will include media law, journalism careers, goal-setting and more. Participants will learn about the school's student organizations, faculty members and curriculum; they also will have opportunities to build relationships and meet prospective mentors.

Participants will stay in the Carolina Inn; classes will be in Carroll Hall, home of the school.

Talented juniors and seniors involved with high school publications or other media are encouraged to apply. The workshop costs $35 per student. Applications are available at www.jomc.unc.edu/cabjapplic.pdf.

"Through the efforts of association members and school staff, the program will again be a wonderful opportunity for high school students to learn more about journalism and mass communication as a career," said Dr. Richard Cole, dean of the school. "Nationally, colleges and universities have seen huge growth in the study of journalism and mass communication in the last decade. Nearly 200,000 students are now enrolled in these programs."

The association at Carolina is affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists and has twice been named its outstanding student chapter.

"We are extremely excited to get to work with the program for a second year," said UNC senior Haley Gingles, project chairwoman and association president. Nothing is more rewarding than being a mentor to future journalists."

The (Raleigh) News & Observer and three of its community newspapers – The Chapel Hill News, The Cary News, The Smithfield Herald and Eastern Wake News -- are sponsoring the event. The newspapers provided $5,000 to fund weekend activities for the students. News & Observer staff members will be workshop mentors and speakers.

"We think it’s very important to support these unique programs," said News & Observer publisher Orage Quarles III. "Any time we have the opportunity to participate, we try to do that."

For more information, contact Gingles at 1-888-562-6276 or gingles@email.unc.edu.

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School contact: Monica Hill, 919-962-4639, 1-888-562-6276 or ncsma@unc.edu
News Services contact: L.J. Toler, 919-962-8589, laura_toler@unc.edu