Journalism institute to launch in January

The New York Times and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists is partnering to launch an intensive training program early in 2007 for Latino student journalists at Florida International University and the University of Arizona early, according to those involved in the project.

The program will consist of an institute for Latinos similar to one created for African-Americans in 2003 at Dillard University in New Orleans, said Allan Richards, chairman of the journalism department at FIU.

“It only seemed logical to expand it,” Don Hecker, a copy editor at the New York Times who is involved in the project said.

The New York Times Journalism Institute for Student Members of NAHJ, a one-week intensive training session, will launch at FIU in January with 20 students, according to Hecker.

The program will then go to the University of Arizona in Tucson in 2008, he said.

The first program is scheduled to run Jan. 3-10, 2007 at FIU’s Biscayne Bay campus in north Miami, according to Hecker and Richards.

“You bring the talent,” Hecker said. “We pay for everything else. Not having the money should not prevent you from attending.”

To qualify, students must be NAHJ members, have completed one semester at a student newspaper or major newspaper, be in good academic standing and write a 500-word essay about being a journalist.

Hecker will be available at 11 a.m. today at the New York Times' career booth at NAHJ’s annual convention to provide details about applying.