For 39 years, The Alabama Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) has been committed to increasing diversity in America’s newsrooms with its Multicultural Journalism Program.
WHY MJW?
Summer Workshop
While still in high school, 10 to 15 students are selected to attend an intensive workshop held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama each summer. The workshop emphasizes multimedia reporting, writing, editing, graphics, photography, production and basic communication skills, and participants produce the MJP Journal to showcase what they’ve learned.
Recruiting and Follow-Up
Through a partnership with ASPA, offices at The University of Alabama, and other high school media organizations, we stay in touch with scholastic publications, advisers and workshop graduates year-round. We work with them to identify potential MJP students, but anyone is encouraged to apply for the MJW Workshop by the April 1 application deadline.
Professional Mentors
The resident workshop faculty is augmented by journalists from around the state and nation, so every student has an editor/coach. Many of these mentors stay in touch with their assigned youngsters throughout the year and into their careers.
Lab Newspaper, Online and Broadcast
The workshop is hands-on from the first day. In our Digital Media Center, students publish a newspaper and website under the direction of the faculty and visiting professionals. They conduct interviews with newsmakers in Alabama cities, towns and communities then go on to produce news stories, video, social media, photos, and feature packages (for broadcast and print/online). Attendees also study reporting, editing, media economics, new media, and media law, ethics, and history.
