Poynter Institute Scholarships

rom its earliest days in a former bank on Central Avenue to its current waterfront home alongside the University of South Florida�s St. Petersburg campus, Poynter has made a stubborn man�s dreams come true. For 40 years, Nelson Poynter produced newspapers in St. Petersburg that reflected his belief that excellent journalism, published independently, could help a community prosper and a democracy flourish. And he saw no good reason why his passing should change anything about that. That�s why he founded the Modern Media Institute in 1975 and willed, upon his death in 1978, that his new school would own controlling stock of the St. Petersburg Times Company. From the beginning, the idea flourished. Not only did the unique ownership model protect his publications from the insatiable demands of the Wall Street-owned chains, it also fulfilled Nelson Poynter�s dream of a school that would help working journalists improve their skills to the benefit of their communities. Today, the paper, now called the Tampa Bay Times, is the largest in Florida and one of America�s best; Poynter is the center for journalism excellence worldwide. Thousands of journalists, teachers and members of the public have come to Poynter to learn what makes the best journalism work�whether the platform is print, broadcast or online. They come to learn from Poynter�s faculty of accomplished journalism professionals and academics. They come to learn from Pulitzer Prize recipients and Edward R. Murrow Award winners, on-air reporters and syndicated columnists, newsroom visionaries and industry innovators. They come to our campus in St. Petersburg, to sessions held in newsrooms and conference centers around the world, and to our site, Poynter.org. And no matter how they come to Poynter, they find a curriculum that has changed as much as the world in which they work. Once focused only on print and broadcast journalism, Poynter today offers a full complement of courses in online journalism, fact-checking and digital skills for journalists and academics, as well as programs that help newsroom leaders develop digital and organizational strategies. Strong leadership has helped Poynter establish its reputation for excellence in teaching. Neil Brown is the sixth president of The Poynter Institute. He joined Poynter in September 2017, after serving as the editor and vice president of the Tampa Bay Times. Tim Franklin preceded Brown as the Institute�s fifth president. He came to Poynter after being managing editor at Bloomberg News and leading the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University�s School of Journalism.