Every year at the Online News Association conference, there’s a kind of magic — hallway chats that turn into mentorship, sessions that spark new ideas and connections that last long after it ends.
For students and early-career journalists of color, that kind of access can be transformational. This year, The 19th and ONA is making it possible for students from local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Ten students, nominated by their schools, are attending ONA25 with free conference access and a yearlong ONA membership.
They’re here for learning, connection and inspiration. And yes, The 19th + JOC journalism mixer, but more on that in a sec!
Creating space for students like these at events like ONA — and helping them navigate it — is one small way to expand who gets to be in the room. At The 19th, it’s part of a bigger commitment to equity in journalism.
From the fellowship to the front lines
Through our yearlong Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship, The 19th supports early- and mid-career HBCU alums with full-time salaried roles in reporting, audience and news product. Fellows gain newsroom experience, professional development, mentorship and career support.
Fellows receive a one-year membership to the National Association of Black Journalists and attend its annual conference. They also connect throughout the year at retreats and networking mixers.
Since launching in 2022, The 19th’s fellows have made a lasting impact — from creating a voter dictionary for social media and rolling out new photo layouts that expand our visual storytelling, to collaborating on a powerful story about the Black women who fed, housed and protected voting rights activists in 1965 Selma.
Alums have gone on to outlets like The Marshall Project, The Baltimore Banner, The Trace, The Nashville Banner and Disability Culture Lab.
The power of a shared mission — and shared bylines
We’re also building community in other ways. The 19th News Network (19NN) is a collective of national, regional and local publishers seeking to advance racial and gender equity in politics and policy journalism. We count over 100 newsrooms, from legacy newsrooms to hyper-local community publishers, as members.
Through 19NN, we’ve done dozens of reporting collaborations, published partners’ work on our site and featured it in our daily newsletter. Interested in joining the network? Read more about it and apply here.
It takes time, resources and intention to do great journalism that centers people underserved by U.S. media. With 19NN members, we imagine a future in which newsrooms regularly tackle that reporting together.
Both the HBCU fellowship and 19NN are part of our broader mission: creating more space, support and visibility for journalists who’ve historically been left out of the industry.
If you’re in New Orleans, come hang with us! Meet our fellows, news partners and this year’s HBCU scholars.
The 19th + Journalists of Color (JOC) Networking Mixer
Thursday, September 11 from 4 p.m. CT
Copper Vine, 1001 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112 (900 feet from Hyatt Regency)
We can’t wait to see you in the hallways or at the mixer!
Happy conferencing,
Kari & Abby
Kari Cobham, director of fellowships
Abby Johnston, partnerships editor
