News Releases

RTDNF and Ivanhoe Announce Call for Applicants for Health Reporting Fellowship

WASHINGTON--In continuing celebration of Ivanhoe Broadcast News’ 30th anniversary, Ivanhoe and The Radio Television Digital News Foundation have joined forces for a second year in a row to provide a training opportunity for one promising young journalist.  RTDNF and Ivanhoe are offering the chance for a working reporter or producer at a television station or new media newsroom to receive a one-week fellowship to travel to the Ivanhoe headquarters in Orlando to focus on health and medical reporting.

Applicants should be television or new media journalists with fewer than 10 years experience.  The fellowship includes a $500 stipend and an expense paid trip to the annual RTDNA@NAB International Conference in Las Vegas, April 11-14, 2010, as well as a year's membership in RTDNA.  Applications are available at RTDNA.org and are due by February 1, 2010.   RTDNF will select the winner no later than March 15 and introduce that journalist at the convention.

"We are very excited to offer the medical reporting fellowship for another year.  Television viewers’ interest in health and medicine remains high and we want to encourage reporters/producers who have an interest in this area of journalism,” said Marjorie Bekaert Thomas, president of Ivanhoe Broadcast News. 

RTDNF Executive Director Kathleen Graham said, “RTDNF is pleased this year’s fellowship includes the chance for new media journalists to apply. Our new name includes the word “Digital,” and that change is significant as we reach out to help train the next generation of journalists covering news about health and medicine, much of which will be delivered online.”

Last year’s winner was Emily Baucum from KOLR-TV in Springfield, Missouri.  Her news director, Polly Van Doren-Orr, had this to say when Emily returned to the station from the fellowship, “Emily came back truly energized from her time at Ivanhoe. She was very excited applying all of her new skills.”

Ivanhoe Broadcast News is the country's largest television news-gathering organization covering medical and science breakthroughs, family health and issues of importance to women. 

The Radio Television Digital News Foundation provides training programs, seminars, scholarship support and research in areas of critical concern to electronic news professionals and their audience.  As the educational arm of the Radio Television Digital News Association, RTDNF offers professional development opportunities for working and aspiring journalists and journalism educators.