CINCINNATI – The Scripps Howard Foundation is providing nearly $500,000 to help the award-winning Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism launch online training programs that will make in-depth investigative journalism training accessible to professional journalists in the U.S. and around the world.
The Foundation established the Howard Centers, located at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Arizona State University, in 2018 to honor the legacy of Roy W. Howard, former chairman of the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. Both centers are leaders in training the next generation of investigative and data reporters.
The online training programs, which will roll out in phases, will be developed by the Howard Centers and marketed to the International Center for Journalists’ (ICFJ) broad network of international journalists. The programs also will be marketed to U.S. journalists. The programs will offer journalists up-to-date investigative training courses that are both cost-conscious and virtual, expanding access to world-class investigative instruction across the globe.
Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland
The Foundation will give UMD $200,000 to create four courses focused on training participants in data journalism. The first two courses from UMD will begin in August, and the final two will launch in January. UMD’s courses will be self-paced.
In addition to support from ICFJ, Merrill's program will be promoted by the Center for Media Integrity of the Americas, an organization that trains and supports journalists in Latin America.
Tuition for UMD’s four-course program will be $1,500, though participants who wish to take individual courses may do so at a cost of $500 each. Participants can apply for a scholarship — funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation grant. When the program launches, UMD will grant scholarships for individual courses and the full four-course program.
Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University
The Foundation will provide ASU with $200,000 to support the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism Editing Program, a 12-course program focused on training journalists in investigative editing skills. Participants can take one or more of the 12 courses, though they must complete all 12 to receive a certificate of completion from ASU. Learners can complete the training on their own timeline during a designated 10-day period for each course. They also can interact with professional faculty who helped develop the training via live Zoom sessions at the conclusion of each course. ASU launched the program to the first cohort of learners in January. The second cohort launches in June.
In addition to receiving international marketing support from ICFJ, ASU’s program will also be promoted in the U.S. by Investigative Reporters and Editors, a nonprofit focused on improving the quality of investigative journalism. Tuition for ASU is $300 per course, or $3,000 for the full 12-course certification. Participants can apply for a scholarship – funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation grant – if they take the entire 12-course program. For more information, visit the program’s website.
International Center for Journalists
The Foundation will grant ICFJ $86,000 to market the certificate programs to international journalists. ICFJ will vet and recommend international scholarship recipients and facilitate a cohort of international participants for the ASU certificate program’s second cohort, which begins in June. ICFJ will also market UMD’s program when it rolls out.
Media contact: Molly Miossi, 513-977-3713, molly.miossi@scripps.com
About the Scripps Howard Foundation
The Scripps Howard Foundation is a private foundation established in 1962 to advance charitable causes important to The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) and the Scripps and Howard families. The Foundation is dedicated to creating informed and engaged communities through journalism education.