Washington, DC — The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) today announced a call for entries for the Leroy F. Aarons and the Kay Longcope scholarships to honor and advance fair and accurate coverage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Applications are available online and will be accepted until June 15, 2013.
The Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship was established in 2005 in memory of Leroy Aarons, NLGJA founder and news executive at The Washington Post and Oakland Tribune, and to honor and continue his work of fostering fair and accurate coverage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues from within the news industry. Past winners are: Christopher Carbone (2012), Sharyn Jackson (2011), Mary Susman (2010), Ryan McLendon (2009), Matthew Leung (2008), Colin Dugdale (2007) and Dennis Mitchell (2006).
The Kay Longcope Scholarship was established in 2008 in memory of Boston Globe journalist Kay Longcope, who co-founded the Texas Triangle, a LGBT weekly newspaper that would eventually grow to become the major source for all things gay in Texas, covering the gamut from news to art, relationships to music reviews. This scholarship has been awarded twice and will continue to fund a LGBT student of color pursuing a career in journalism. Past winners are: John-Carlos Estrada (2012), Fenit Nirappil (2011) and Carl Gaines (2010).
Applicants must be planning to pursue a career in journalism plus be able to demonstrate their passion and commitment to the profession. Selection will be based on journalistic and scholastic ability. Applicants also must demonstrate an awareness of the issues facing the LGBT community and the importance of fair and accurate news coverage.
NLGJA partners with The Philadelphia Foundation, a community foundation established in 1918, to administer the NLGJA Student Scholarship Fund. The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, a component fund of TPF serving to advance philanthropy within the LGBT communities, will disburse the scholarship awards on recommendations from NLGJA during each award period.
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About the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information on the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, visit the NLGJA Web site at https://www.nlgja.org.
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