Fourteen California campus news programs will receive grants from the California Press Foundation to improve their production hardware and software.
Cal Press received a record 35 applications, representing a 45-percent increase from last year’s grant cycle and highlighting the growing need for statewide support of journalism education.
“The review committee was amazed by the surge in requests this year. At all levels, we’re seeing student newsrooms doing increasingly vital work, often with limited resources,” said Linda Bowen, Cal Press grants committee chair and board director. “We’re proud to help students and their advisers meet these needs.”
Most applicants asked for basic equipment, such as cameras, lenses, microphones and computers. Other requests included recorders to facilitate podcasting and critical software subscriptions.
Nearly $17,000 in funding will be distributed, with individual grant amounts ranging from $370 to $1,500.
This year’s applications came from every level in the state’s journalism education pipeline, including two middle schools, 20 high schools, seven community colleges and six universities. A panel of nine Cal Press board directors reviewed the applications. View all previous recipients at cal-press.org/grant-recipient-list.