Posted on June 2, 2005

CNN Donates $1 Million to Journalist Groups for Minority Scholarships

CNN Pressroom, June 1

CNN has donated $1 million to the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for scholarships for minority students pursuing journalism. CNN President Jim Walton made the announcement on behalf of CNN’s more than 4,000 employees during the 2005 World Report Conference in Atlanta and in conjunction with the cable news network’s 25th anniversary.

“CNN prides itself on being the world’s news leader, providing news to more people in more places than any other news organization,” Walton said. “But news organizations are only as strong as their journalists, and it is imperative that the diversity of our journalists reflects the diversity of the world they cover. This donation will help ensure that diversity, by directly supporting the efforts of three outstanding organizations that encourage minority journalism students.”

CNN’s donation, which will be evenly split among the three organizations, will be used to create a CNN25 Scholars Program. Rigorous criteria for scholarships would likely require demonstrated journalistic excellence, consistent with the values of CNN, and a commitment to community involvement.

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