Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy: Program Details

Click here to apply.

When: July 9-14, 2013

Where: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York City

Overview: Large-scale traumatic events and crises – natural disaster and terrorism, civil unrest and war, mass shootings and assaults on journalists – challenge every newsroom. Managing staff to tell these stories quickly, safely and effectively pose practical, ethical, psychological and liability issues that affect news organizations, large and small, local and international. In an instant, managers can find their newsroom’s capacity overwhelmed, contending at once with the physical safety of journalists, effective newsgathering and long-term emotional impact on news staff.

The Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy is a week-long intensive training program to prepare newsroom leaders to manage traumatic events and crisis and disaster coverage. The program is open to mid-level and senior news managers, executives, producers and editors from around the world. Participants will learn to assess and manage risk to their staffs, build healthy and resilient news teams, support trauma-affected colleagues, make ethical and effective news choices, and ensure the safety and integrity of their news operation.

The program will be comprised of expert briefings, panel discussions, case study presentations, manager-to-manager sessions and one-on-one specialized consultations with program faculty. The final program will be tailored to the interests and needs of participants. Topics to be covered may include:

• Pre- and Post-Assignment Risk Assessment and Planning
• Trauma, Ethics and the News Agenda
• Psychological Safety and Self-Care
• Stress Mitigation and Management
• Duty of Care and Liability
• Building Healthy and Resilient News Teams
• Establishing Peer-Support Networks

The progam will be conducted entirely in English.

Core Faculty: Bruce Shapiro, Executive Director, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma; Elana Newman, Ph.D., Research Director, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma; Cait McMahon, Director, Dart Centre Asia Pacific; and Gavin Rees, Director, Dart Centre Europe.

Guest Faculty: Senior news executives and newsroom leaders from major U.S. and international news organizations.

Eligibility: To be eligible, applicants should be full-time newsroom managers, news executives or senior journalists whose participation is endorsed by their employers.

The full program will be conducted in English, so spoken and written English competency is required.

Application Process:

The Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy is a unique global training program for news managers and executives from around the world. Applications must be submitted through our online application system by Friday, May 31, 2013 at 11:59pm. Applicants will be notified by Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

A completed application consists of:

A completed application consists of:

• CV and short bio.
• Letter of intent describing 2-3 challenges you have confronted as a news manager or executive; 2-3 reasons you wish to participate in this program; and how you and your news organization hope to benefit from the training (750 words max).
• Letter of support from an immediate supervisor or the company’s top executive, endorsing your participation and committing the organization to cover the tuition, travel and lodging.

Applicants should submit their materials through the online application system.

Tuition: $4250. It is expected that tuition will be paid by participants’ employers. Tuition covers all training sessions, individualized on-site coaching and post-program follow up, welcome dinner, breakfast and lunch daily, and all training materials. Travel, lodging and ground transportation in New York City are not included. If multiple employees from the same news organization are accepted, the news organization will receive a 15% discount on each participant’s tuition fee. Note that at this time, no scholarships or tuition assistance is available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know if I’m eligible to apply? A: To be eligible, applicants must be full-time news managers, executives with or senior journalists whose participation is endorsed by their employer. Applicants must also be fully proficient in spoken and written English.

Q: What type of schedule should I expect? A: The Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy is an intensive week-long training program that begins Tuesday, July 9 at 2:30 p.m. with an afternoon session followed by a welcome dinner for participants and program faculty. All subsequent days will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., with evening activities scheduled for Wednesday and Friday. The program will conclude Sunday, July 14 at 3 p.m.

Q: How many news managers and executives may participate in the Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy? A: The program is capped at 20 participants.

Q: Who comprises the Dart Center Newsroom Leadership Academy Faculty? A: The program faculty consist of the Dart Center’s core leadership and a select number of guest faculty from leading news organizations in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific regions.

Q: Will I receive a certificate of completion from Columbia University? A: Yes.

Q: If my news organization cannot afford the tuition, is there financial assistance available? A:

At this time the Dart Center has no resources available for scholarships. Applicants in need of financial assistance may still apply but should include a paragraph in their letter of intent explaining their financial situation and what their news organization can contribute towards tuition. In the event that tuition assistance is available, applicants in need will be contacted.

Q: If I am not a U.S. citizen, am I responsible for my own Visa and other travel documents? A: Yes, however the Dart Center and Columbia University will provide you with a formal acceptance letter to submit along with your Visa application.

Additional program details:

Attire: Dress throughout the week is business casual

Payment: Full tuition payments are due by June 28. Checks should be made out to the Dart Center/Columbia Journalism School with the participant’s name in the check memo.

Cancellations: Confirmed participants who withdraw from the program at least 30 days before the program’s start date (on or before June 9, 2013) will receive a 50% tuition refund. Confirmed participants who withdraw within 14 days of the start date (on or after June 24, 2013) are not eligible for a tuition refund.

If you have specific questions or need additional information, please contact Kate Black, Associate Director, at [email protected]