The Google News Initiative, the Local Media Consortium, and the Local Media Association have teamed up to offer 50 scholarships to Elevate! 2019, the LMC and LMA’s first joint conference for the local media industry. The gathering focused on innovation, transformation, and new business models to sustain local journalism will take place on September 17-19 in Chicago and will include a diversity workshop sponsored by the Google News Initiative.
“The media industry, and local media, in particular, understands the importance of having an inclusive newsroom that reflects the diversity of its community and its readers with a wide variety of voices and experiences,” said Fran Wills, CEO of the LMC. “Thanks to the support of the Google News Initiative, we are pleased to offer these scholarships for the Elevate! The conference, which we believe will be a great opportunity for participants to meet and network with others in the field as well as develop their professional skills.”
The 50 scholarships will be awarded to a diverse mix of under-represented candidates based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, etc., as well as those who work at smaller media companies. Candidates must work for a media company and be nominated by their supervisor. The first 50 to apply will be granted the scholarship (a $795 value to attend the conference). Women, employees 35 years old and younger, and other under-represented individuals based on race and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. There will also be at least 15 scholarships available for people who work for small media companies or in markets outside of the top 25, regardless of their age, gender, race, etc. Candidates may apply online at this link: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4997798/Elevate-2019-Scholarship-Application.
“Reinventing business models for news is hard work. It requires input from a diverse and inclusive group of people representing all segments of the local media ecosystem,” said Nancy Lane, president of the LMA. “These scholarships go a long way in helping us get there. We are very grateful to GNI for their support.”
As part of an ongoing commitment to fostering diversity in the local news industry, the Local Media Consortium and Local Media Association each offered diversity scholarships made possible by the Google News Initiative at their individual meetings this past year, but Elevate! marks the first time two of the local media industry’s most innovative organizations will join forces to promote innovation and diversity through workshops, presentations and keynote speeches. A diversity workshop and lunch, sponsored by the Google News Initiative, will feature a keynote address by Mekka Okereke, engineering director for growth on Google Play, one of the largest digital marketplaces on earth.
Additional workshops at the conference will focus on consumer revenue, digital advertising and marketing products, and customer experience.