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Scholarship Opportunity

Society of Professional Journalist
Greater Los Angeles Chapter

2018 Scholarship awards
Deadline June 15, 2018 

The Society of Professional Journalist Los Angeles will award scholarships to students interested in pursuing careers in journalism.

Students from Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura counties who have completed at least their freshman year of college, as well as graduate students from those same counties, are eligible to apply for all scholarships.

The financial awards range up to $1,000 for each of the following

Deadline is midnight, June 15, 2018.

college journalist of color and is aimed at increasing ethnic diversity in
newsrooms. Ken Inouye was a 22-year-old cameraman for the International
News Service, covering the Korean War, when he was killed aboard an Army
aircraft. ($500-$1,000)

- Helen Johnson Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a
college student pursuing broadcast journalism. This award honors the late
Helen Johnson, a producer of “Channel 4 News Conference” and an associate
producer of “Meet the Press.” ($500-$1,000).

- Carl Greenberg Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a
college student pursuing investigative or political reporting. Carl Greenberg
was a political reporter at the Los Angeles Times, famed for being singled out
by Richard Nixon as the only reporter who covered him “fairly.” ($1,000).

- Bill Farr Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to high
school seniors or college students who demonstrate a strong intent to pursue
a career in journalism. The award honors the late Bill Farr, a reporter for the
Los Angeles Times who sat in county jail for 46 days for refusing to tell a
judge which lawyers had violated a gag order during the Charles Manson
murder trial. ($500-$1,000).

On the recommendation of the judges, these awards may be divided among two or
more equally promising applicants. Scholarship funding is renewable, but renewal is
not automatic. Previous winners who continue to meet eligibility requirements may
apply to renew their awards. Renewal requests are considered along with all other
scholarship applications and given no preference.

Primarily, awards are based on applicants’ potential to succeed in news media
careers. However, financial need is considered if all other qualifications of
competing applicants are equal.

Applicants may apply for more than one scholarship by checking all of the
appropriate boxes on the form, but no more than one scholarship will be awarded
to any applicant. Multiple applications will be discarded.


In addition, applicants must:
– Provide proof of enrollment or acceptance in a journalism program at a two-year
or four-year college or university.
 If your college does not have a journalism program, or if you are not enrolled
in a journalism program, you must supply a letter from an adviser to your
student media program, student-run campus news outlet or an SPJ member
in good standing in your geographic area, verifying that you intend to pursue
a career as a professional journalist and that you show strong potential as a
journalist.
 Students completing pre-journalism programs must provide proof they have
been admitted to a journalism program.
 Students must have completed at least their freshman year in college, and
have at least one semester to complete in a journalism program after the
award of the scholarship.
 Graduate students in journalism programs are eligible. However, students in
fields, such as advertising, public relations or law, are not eligible.

– Reside in or be enrolled at a high school, university or college in Los Angeles,
Orange or Ventura counties. Or, if you are enrolled in college in another state, have
graduated high school in Los Angeles, Orange or Ventura counties.


To find out more about the Society of Professional Journalists Greater Los
Angeles Chapter, please visit http://spjla.org/

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
COVER SHEET (see below)
Attach to the front of your application, which should contain a resume, journalism
work samples, and an essay. Be sure your name is on all elements of your
submission.
STANDARD RESUME
This document should contain a record of your school and/or professional
journalism experience, including positions, held, (reporter, city editor, etc.), dates
you began and ended work for each position and a brief description of your duties
(e.g., “feature editor, assigned and edited six to 10 features a week for a staff of
four writers”), and a list of references with contact information.
 You may include additional information, including journalism honors and
awards, scholarships or achievements in any field (art or athletics, for
example).

JOURNALISM WORK SAMPLES
Students may submit their work in traditional formats, such as clips, tear-sheets

and prints, or via optical storage devices, such as CD or DVD. Send a self-
addressed return envelope with sufficient postage if you want these items returned.

Do not send irreplaceable original material.
 Print: Submit three samples of your best work. Photocopies are acceptable.
 Online and multimedia: Web page URLs are acceptable, but hard copy
printouts of homepages would be helpful.
 Broadcast: Submit up to three short video and/or audio samples.
Microcassettes acceptable.
 Photojournalism: Five or six samples are sufficient, but if you need to send
more to show the breadth of your experience, you may do so.
Be sure that your submissions are clearly and accurately identified, with your name
and other pertinent information, such as your university, college or high school. You
may describe any special circumstances under which the work was done – such as
unusually tight deadlines or particularly adverse conditions.
ESSAY
Write no more than 500 words describing your career goals: What specific kind of
work do you hope to do in journalism when you graduate and later in your career?
What are your expectations as a future practitioner? How will you accomplish your
goals? (If you wish for financial need to be considered, include documentation in
this statement.)


Applications by e-mail to Richard Saxton, Scholarship Committee
Chair - spjscholarships2018@gmail.com

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