Aug. 17, 2004

SMPA Hosts Summer J-Camp

Bernstein, Thomas Among Leading Journalists On Hand to Mentor Students

This summer GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) played host to J-Camp, an intensive six-day training camp for 42 multi-cultural high school students from across the country, organized by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Media luminaries such as CBS News correspondent Joie Chen, NBC “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert, White House press veteran Helen Thomas, former Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein and former ABC “World News Tonight” anchor Carole Simpson highlighted camp sessions on writing, broadcasting and photography.

“We are delighted to be a sponsor of J-Camp,” said SMPA Interim Director Albert L. May. “This program underscores our commitment to educating the next generation of journalists with an eye to increasing diversity in the newsroom.”

For six days J-Camp participants lived and breathed journalism on the GW campus, attending workshops and lectures in the Media and Public Affairs Building and interacting with other aspiring journalists. All of the students’ costs during the J-Camp, including airfare, housing and meals, were covered by the AAJA Challenge Fund for Journalism, with additional support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, American Airlines, Chevron Texaco, GW, Knight Ridder, The McClatchy Company and The Washington Post.

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