FAMU & Howard Finalists for NABJ Student Chapter of the Year

WASHINGTON, DC, May 17, 2010 --Today, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced its finalists for Student Chapter of the Year -- Florida A&M University (FAMU) Chapter and the Howard University (HU) Chapter. The winner will be announced at the Opening Ceremony of NABJ's 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair in San Diego, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.

"We congratulate both Howard and FAMU, and we praise both of these chapters for being excellent models,” said NABJ President Kathy Y. Times. "NABJ student members are some of the best and the brightest, which is demonstrated through both of these stellar chapters."

FAMU's journalism program is a trailblazer. Members of the FAMU chapter are actively engaged in student media outlets such as The Famuan, Journey, WANM radio, FAMU-TV 20 and related Web sites. In addition to participating in student media boot camps, producing a newsletter and hosting résumé-writing workshops, they have established a mentoring and scholarship program for high school students at FAMU's Developmental Research School.

FAMU's student chapter rests under the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, which received accolades earlier this week. NABJ announced FAMU's journalism school dean, Dr. James Hawkins is the 2010 Journalism Educator of the Year.

Howard continues to blaze its own trail of success. The John H. Johnson School of Communications has trained and produced some of today's leading journalists in print, broadcast, film, and new media. Students in the chapter participate in activities such as the weekly publication of the District Chronicles, a newspaper supervised by a faculty member and run by high school and college students; the nationally recognized Hilltop Newspaper, a daily publication; Glasshouse Radio, an on-line talk radio program, and BlackCollegeView.com, an online news site. They also host training workshops and participated in an advocacy trip to New York last year.

The Howard chapter also works with the Washington Association of Black Journalists, its parent chapter.

HU received good news earlier this week when NABJ announced that their own Phillip Lucas, a senior journalism major, was selected as NABJ's 2010 Student Journalist of the Year.

Both student chapters have previously won the title of Student Chapter of the Year, more than once.

NABJ bases its Student Chapter of the Year award on accomplishments during the eligibility period. The criteria include but are not limited to the number of new members who joined the chapter and NABJ, and the chapter's campus and community activities and programs.

NABJ's 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair will take place July 28- August 1 in San Diego, Calif. For additional information, ticket sales, registration, please visit us at www.nabj.org.