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Alabama Broadcasters Association endows journalism scholarships in College of Liberal Arts

The Alabama Broadcasters Association, or ABA, the official voice of the broadcasting industry in Alabama, has established a $50,000 scholarship fund to support journalism students at Auburn University.

The Alabama Broadcasters Association Scholarships will provide financial support to Auburn’s promising journalism students, allowing them to pursue their goals without a significant financial burden, as well as advance Auburn University’s goal of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion among its student body.

“One of the factors in the ABA’s choice to establish an endowment is feedback from broadcasters about the caliber of graduates they are hiring from our colleges and universities.  We frequently hear that Auburn alums are excelling at their new jobs,” said ABA President Sharon Tinsley. “We also ask our colleges and universities to provide information about their communication degree programs for review by a panel of broadcasters. Auburn University did a great job demonstrating what it is they are doing to develop these talented graduates.”

For more than 75 years, the ABA has protected and enhanced broadcasting across the state. The organization provides programs and services to support professional broadcasters as well as endowments at institutions of higher education to assist future broadcasters. As of 2023, the ABA supports seven endowed scholarship funds at schools across the state.

The Auburn University journalism program in the College of Liberal Arts emphasizes skills-based instruction, one-on-one guidance and industry partnerships to prepare journalists to be successful in the industry from day one. Partnerships with War Eagle Productions and Gray Television allow students to gain real-world experience before they’ve graduated. Upon graduation, journalism alumni possess a foundational knowledge of writing skills, ethical standards and critical thinking.

To qualify for an Alabama Broadcasters Association Scholarship, students must be a junior or senior in journalism, maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and demonstrate financial need.

“This endowment will provide scholarships for the two fastest-growing areas in the journalism program – broadcasting and sports production,” School of Communication and Journalism Director Debra Worthington said. “Our goal is to provide financial support for deserving Alabama students with financial need, particularly first generation and minority students. The ABA’s generous endowment will establish the first scholarship at Auburn specifically for broadcast journalism or sports production students. It will help us continue our mission to train the next generation of news and media professionals working in Alabama and around the world.”

Find more information at the School of Communication and Journalism website.

Tags: Communication and Journalism Students