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Start your career path at the American Indian Journalism Institute

11.01.07

Why Attend AIJI?
The American Indian Journalism Institute is an academic, scholarship and internship program for college students run and funded by the Freedom Forum, a foundation which promotes employment diversity in America’s newsrooms.

American Indian students often do not consider journalism as a career option, in part because many of their schools lack student newspapers and journalism classes, the most common routes to journalism careers. About 300 Native Americans work at daily newspapers out of more than 55,000 daily-newspaper journalists nationwide.

Without Native Americans on staff, newspapers can produce stereotypical and erroneous coverage of Indian issues and Indian people. Having even one Native American in a newsroom makes a newspaper more aware of Indians in its community, and more sensitive and intelligent when reporting stories about them.

AIJI provides a unique opportunity for Indian students to learn about journalism and consider it as a career, which will help improve newsroom diversity around the country.

The Program
For three weeks in June, Native American students will learn the craft of journalism through one of several journalism courses taught at the Freedom Forum’s Al Neuharth Media Center, on The University of South Dakota’s Vermillion campus. Accepted students will be placed in an appropriate course based on their experience, interests and previous coursework.

Applications are welcome from any Native American college student hoping to become a journalist. Students attend AIJI for free and receive other financial assistance, including room and board during the program and a scholarship/stipend upon completion of the program. AIJI students also may be eligible for college credit.

After successful completion of the program, top AIJI graduates are hired for six-week paid internships as reporters, copy editors, photographers or multi-media journalists with daily newspapers and with The Associated Press.

How to Apply
Applicants must submit:

• A complete and signed application.
• A written essay (500-750 word minimum recommended) about the applicant. The essay will be read for content and to determine the applicant’s ability to think and to express thoughts and ideas cogently. The essay should be autobiographical, with emphasis on interest in journalism and what the applicant hopes to accomplish through AIJI.
• A color headshot hard copy sent by mail or jpeg sent by e-mail to aiji@freedomforum.org
• Two letters of recommendation, preferably from teachers, work supervisors, former employers or members of the journalism community. (No letters from relatives.)
• A copy of your most recent college transcript.
• A résumé or year-by-year listing of education and work history.
• Four to six work samples of any writing/editing/photo/Web experience or classroom work.

Applications must be received no later than February 1.

AIJI is an alcohol-free and drug-free program. From the program’s start until graduation, AIJI students are prohibited from any use of alcohol or illegal drugs. Violators will be expelled.

Information
For more information, or to submit an application, call or write:
Jack Marsh
American Indian Journalism Institute
555 Dakota St.
Vermillion, SD 57069
605/677-3114 or 605/677-5424
aiji@freedomforum.org