Tonight on Nashville Public Television at 9 p.m., CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour hosts TELLING THE TRUTH: THE BEST IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM, a documentary on the challenges, decisions, and issues involved in the pursuit of great news. Amanpour profiles winners of this year’s Columbia School of Journalism Alfred I. duPont Awards as they cover stories in the field and in their newsrooms. The documentary is written and produced by Martin Smith, a former duPont winner well known for public television documentaries on FRONTLINE. “Several winners spoke eloquently about the responsibility journalists have to speak the truth,” said Smith. “Hurricane Katrina tested the willingness of the major media to take a more aggressive and critical approach to those in positions of power. This was evident in Iraq and other areas as well.”
Where are tomorrow’s winners of the Alfred I. duPont Awards coming from? Thanks to the Nashville City Paper today, we know about Princeton University’s sixth annual journalism program for high school juniors and seniors from low-income families.
The Princeton University Summer Journalism Program is a fun, fast-paced introduction to the world of journalism, according to the program’s web site. During their 10 days on campus, program participants live in Princeton University dorms and attend seminars with professional journalists from papers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and People Magazine. They work side-by-side with current Princeton undergraduates and alumni who volunteer as coaches and mentors.
Students interview local and state officials, visit The New York Times and ABC World News Tonight and cover a professional sports event. They meet with Princeton admissions officers and discuss how to prepare a college application, how to write a competitive college essay and how to apply for financial aid. They also take a practice SAT and receive feedback and test preparation tips from The Princeton Review. Other guest speakers include Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman and renowned professors such as Cornel West.