ICFJ, Hampton University Team Up to Offer Students Opportunities in the Field of International Journalism

By: ICFJ | 06/02/2021

The International Center for Journalists and the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications (SHSJC) at Hampton University have forged a new partnership designed to help students succeed in international journalism careers. The new partnership, which includes an internship program, aims to provide equitable opportunities for underrepresented communities in the field.

Students will receive paid summer internships to work with ICFJ’s multilingual International Journalists’ Network (IJNet), the go-to site for journalists seeking resources, opportunities and tools to advance their careers and improve their reporting. Interns will produce multimedia stories and learn the latest tools and strategies for bolstering audience engagement. They also will produce at least one in-depth reporting project. The student interns will walk away with tangible experience, bylines, top-notch resumes, and access to a network of influential leaders in the news media. 

“This is a truly exciting initiative on many fronts,” said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. “It creates a unique opportunity for Hampton University students, who will gain skills and experiences that better position them for a career in journalism. At the same time, students will learn about and contribute to the work we do serving journalists across the world.”

Through SHSJC’s international journalism course, a member of ICFJ’s senior leadership will also offer virtual class sessions. Mentors from ICFJ and its network of journalists will provide feedback, help the students produce high-quality resumes and improve job interviewing skills. In addition, ICFJ will circulate its full-time job openings among the school’s graduates.

“We believe this partnership will offer our school and our students an opportunity to connect with international journalism by providing access to ICFJ’s global network of journalists and journalism organizations,” said the school’s Dean DàVida Plummer. “We hope this is the first step in our relationship with ICFJ and its mission to promote journalism and produce stories that make a difference around the world.”

ICFJ has a long-standing relationship with the SHSJC. Plummer is an alumna of our Back in the Newsroom fellowship, which connected journalism professors from Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) with digitally savvy newsrooms, so that academics could bring cutting-edge skills to their classrooms and better support students through updated curricula.

The inaugural Hampton University intern, Jamaija Rhoades, will be supported with a grant from the Gannett Foundation. Rhoades is a 2021 graduate of SHSJC, with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and an emphasis on cinema studies. 

Latest News

ICFJ Fellow Builds Community of Women Journalists in Post-Assad Syria

When Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown at the end of 2024, Mais Katt, a Syrian journalist who has lived in exile for 14 years, immediately returned to her country. She was one of the first journalism trainers to enter Damascus after the fall of the regime. Her goal? Help prepare women journalists to take advantage of their newfound freedoms.

ICFJ Fellow Investigates Government Failures in West Bank Refugee Camps

Aziza Nofal, a Palestinian freelance journalist and an ICFJ Jim Hoge Reporting Fellow, through her fellowship, conducted a months-long investigation into the shortage of aid for refugees living in West Bank refugee camps. When Nofal was covering Israeli incursions into West Bank refugee camps for outlets like Al Jazeera, she observed a lack of support from Palestinian authorities.

Hold the Line Coalition Welcomes Maria Ressa and Rappler's Acquittal on Foreign Ownership Case, Urges Closure of Remaining Case

A Filipino court has acquitted Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, along with five Rappler directors, in a long-standing anti-dummy case. Filed in 2018 under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the case was based on the allegation that Rappler had violated constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of media.