The Sports Journalism Institute has finalized the selection and placement of students for the Class of 2010. The 11 students represent the 18th class of SJI, which welcomed its first group of students in 1993 and has since sent approximately 200 women and minorities into the nation’s sports departments.
Students will again receive classroom training at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., as has been the case for the past four years. At Poynter, classroom costs are far lower than at convention hotels, since Poynter supplies students with laptops and a fully equipped classroom (including internet access, video equipment and access to printing). In addition, SJI staff works with the teaching staff of Poynter for a well-rounded multimedia curriculum.
Multimedia is, of course, the word of the decade in our business and this year two SJI students will have online internships. Alex Prewitt of Tufts will work at ESPN.com and Didier Morais of Syracuse will be an intern at MLB.com.
This is MLB.com’s first year of participation in SJI and MLB.com editor-in-chief Dinn Mann is excited about the relationship.
“We are delighted to support the program, and we fully recognize the talents and appetites of these potential future stars in the industry,” Mann said. “As various transitions in media continue, we also welcome the spirit of partnership and forward thinking by the institute’s leadership. Content is as vital as ever, and those who generate it for vast audiences on any platform should come from a broad and diverse landscape. That’s part of the reason our involvement will not be short-lived.
“Another reason is about people, and the proof is in the numbers of terrific human beings and friends who’ve been associated with the SJI endeavor since its inception.”
One other change this year: This SJI class will include the two interns who are being selected through the the Scripps Howard Foundation. Those students will be chosen by a committee that includes APSE first Vice President Phil Kaplan and others, including SJI’s own Greg Lee (Boston Globe). Those students will be placed by Kaplan, receive boot camp training at Poynter and be considered full-fledged SJI class members.
The Class of 2010:
Amelia Reyno, Emerson, Star Tribune in Minneapolis
Isis Roberts, Cal State Long Beach, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Kyle Goon, Maryland, Salt Lake Tribune
Aaron Martinez, UTEP, Houston Chronicle
Didier Morais, Syracuse, MLB.com
Alex Prewitt, Tufts, ESPN.com
Cheng Sio, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Gazette
Tariq Lee, Temple, The Oklahoman
Shemar Woods, Hampton University, Denver Post
2 Scripps Howard interns
