ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prominent leaders in the startup, tech, media and academic fields will headline the Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, a transformational leadership program for journalists of color.

The Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) are accepting applications for this intensive, tuition-free program through Aug. 15. The academy will address the unique issues journalists of color face on the path to leadership in digital journalism and technology organizations.

In addition to Poynter faculty, the teaching lineup will include media strategist and startup adviser Ju-Don Marshall Roberts, formerly of the Center for Cooperative Media and The Washington Post; Mark Luckie, head of journalism and media for Reddit; Donna Byrd, publisher of The Root and vice president of digital for Univision; Rashida Jones, managing editor, dayside, for MSNBC; and Mizell Stewart III, vice president of news operations for the USA TODAY Network.

"We are delighted to have such talented journalism leaders directing this ground-breaking program," said Kelly McBride, Poynter's vice president for academic programs. "Their teaching will give everyone who attends the skills and connections to flourish in their careers."

The inaugural Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, offered to 25 participants, will take place Dec. 4-9, 2016, at the Poynter campus in St. Petersburg, Florida. It combines the efforts of the global leader in journalism education, The Poynter Institute, and the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, NABJ, to promote diversity in newsrooms and create cutting-edge opportunities for career development.

Tuition is free, thanks to the generous support of the program's naming sponsor, The New York Times, as well as additional funding from Facebook, Google, the Scripps Howard Foundation and the TEGNA Foundation.

"The NABJ-Poynter partnership allows us to affect change in our newsrooms, our profession and our future," said NABJ President Sarah Glover. "The faculty for this program will give every participant a first-class training opportunity that will ultimately extend throughout the industry."

The Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media will include guidance on navigating newsroom culture, leadership styles, the business of journalism and entrepreneurship, as well as networking and one-on-one coaching. Poynter and NABJ will collaborate closely to build an interactive, agile curriculum for the next generation of leaders.

The Poynter-NABJ program builds upon the dynamic ONA-Poynter Leadership Academy for Women, which has offered training to the best and the brightest women in digital media in the last two years.

The application deadline for the Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media  is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, Aug. 15. Application information is available here.

Employers are encouraged to support participant travel. A limited number of travel stipends will be available.

Poynter and NABJ are seeking additional funding from media and technology companies, foundations and academic institutions to keep this transformative learning experience tuition-free.

For more information on providing financial support, please contact Elisa Jackson, executive director of the Poynter Foundation, at ejackson@poynter.org or NABJ executive consultant Drew Berry at drewnabj@gmail.com.

About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute's website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.

About The National Association of Black Journalists
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization for journalists of color in the nation, and provides career development as well as educational and other support to its members worldwide. For additional information, please visit www.nabj.org.

Contact: Tina Dyakon
Director of Advertising and Marketing
The Poynter Institute
Tdyakon@poynter.org
727-553-4343

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SOURCE The Poynter Institute