In an effort to aid minority students in the undergraduate studies related to broadcast television, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Tuesday a $500,000 scholarship fund.
Sinclair aims to give out up to $50,000 a year in individual grants of $5,000 or less. Minority students who have demonstrated financial need and are studying broadcasting or journalism at accredited four-year colleges will be eligible to receive scholarships.
“This scholarship fund is another way for us to invest in the future of broadcast television, by ensuring that students dedicated to careers in broadcasting can complete their educations,” said Don Thompson, senior VP of human resources for Sinclair. “We have long-standing relationships with numerous colleges, including historically black colleges and universities in markets where we have stations. These relationships are a great source for talent, and many student interns become full-time employees.
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The scholarship application will be available this spring on Sinclair’s website, with the initial grants to be awarded by this summer for fall 2016 tuition. Sinclair will ask recipients to produce stories for TV broadcast and online.
“We believe that television broadcast news is the most important source for local political, consumer protection, and other investigative reporting that our communities want and need. This scholarship fund supports students who believe in that mission too,” said Scott Livingston, Sinclair’s VP of News. “The Sinclair Broadcast Diversity Scholarship Fund is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to students who want to pursue careers in broadcast journalism, but who don’t have the financial means to complete their degrees.”
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