Correction appended.
The School of Communication is teaming up with Politico for the newspaper’s new initiative to include diverse journalists in the newsroom through its inaugural Politico Journalism Institute.
The institute will bring 10 rising juniors and seniors to Politico offices and SOC classrooms from July 31- Aug. 8, according to a Politico press release.
SOC Dean Jeffrey Rutenbeck is excited about the institute’s inaugural session starting July 31 and the new ideas students and newsroom veterans will share with each other.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Politico as we explore our mutual goal of increasing interest in political journalism, especially among diverse students,” Dean Rutenbeck said in an email.
The seven year-old Politico is ready to take on the responsibility of changing the pace of journalism by bringing new ideas and voices to print, according to Politico Editor-at-Large Bill Nichols.
“We’re expanding rather than contracting,” Nichols said. “We really have a responsibility to give back to the industry and this is one of the ways that we can do that.”
Politico Executive Editor Richard Berke also feels that diversity is vital in the newsroom.
“We believe that the best journalism comes from newsrooms that must fully reflect an entire population,” Berks said in an email.
The 10 students chosen for the institute will learn these principles by getting hands-on experience. Outside of seeing guest speakers and lecturers, students will work in the Politico offices and have material published during or after their time at the institute.
AU will provide housing for students, and SOC will provide workshop space in the McKinley facilities, Rutenbeck said in an email.
“Participants will be splitting their time between Politico’s offices and AU— staying in the residence halls and participating in workshops in McKinley,” Rutenbeck said in an email.
Lynne Perri, Managing Editor of the Investigative Reporting Workshop and SOC professor, is helping to create the curriculum for the program. Nichols and Perri also worked together at USA Today and share similar values when it comes to journalism, she said.
In developing the curriculum, Perri considered the importance of preparing future political reporters for Washington.
“Washington can be very daunting. It’s huge. It’s such a maze of agencies [and] legal firms,” Perri said. “Knowing how to really navigate Washington is a skill that takes years and I’m sure that with the help of Politico editors and reporters students will understand Washington better.”
A previous version of this article spelled Richard Berke’s name as Berks. It has been changed to Berke.
