Reuters announces diversity in journalism initiative

The paid fellowships offer up to nine months of “hands-on, real-world experience in a Reuters bureau”. They are part of the Reuters news trainee programme and open to members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in the United States.

They honour “rising reporters, recent graduates or business professionals who demonstrate a clear commitment to a career in journalism and an ability to generate story ideas relevant for a Reuters audience, with a focus on multimedia, using text, video and/or graphics,” the company announced.

“We are proud to welcome these bright journalists in their early careers to the Reuters family and to offer them this exciting opportunity through our partnership with the NABJ,” said editor-in-chief Stephen Adler. “The work the NABJ organization does in expanding diversity in journalism is critical and we’re committed to collaborating with them and others to increase diversity and inclusion at Reuters.”

The first Reuters-NABJ Fellows are:

• Makini Brice, who will continue in the Dakar bureau where she has been an Overseas Press Club fellow since June, as the recipient of the club’s Flora Lewis Award.
• Gina Cherelus who is taking on a breaking news post with a social media focus in New York.
• Bethel Habte, a reporter and audio producer based in the Washington area who will join the digital team in New York. 
• Marcus E. Howard who will join the markets desk in New York.
• Justin Madden who will join the Chicago bureau to focus on the agriculture commodities markets.
• Clarece Polke who will join the Washington bureau in February.