The Edward R. Murrow College of Communications appointed Jody Brannon as the program manager for the new Murrow News Fellowship focused on civic issues.

Brannon previously served with the Center for Journalism and Liberty, the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism and the Carnegie-Knight News 21 initiative, according to the Murrow College website.

Brannon has a doctorate in mass communication from University of Maryland. She also served senior roles at The Washington Post, USA Today and the Online News Association, according to the Murrow College website. 

Brannon said the goal of the new Murrow News Fellowship is to put more reporters in rural or suburban communities where more substantive reporting on civic issues is needed. The stories covered will help give people a richer understanding of their community issues so that they become smarter voters. 

“So fewer stories on the upcoming pumpkin patch and more stories on issues that will help community members better understand their circumstances when it comes to where their money is going to issues of the environment,” Brannon said. 

Benjamin Shors, WSU chair of journalism and media production, said the fellowship is for people who graduated within the last five years from any higher education program in Washington. The two-year fellowship is a full-time job that pays $55,000 a year.

“You’re employed by Washington State University with state benefits, so it’s a good opportunity for early-career journalists,” Shors said. 

Shors said the program will have fellows provide coverage on local government and local issues. Without newspapers in the community, there is a decrease in voter turnout and elections.

“The fellowship will also cover other forms of government like police, fire department, school boards and all those things,” Shors said. 

The fellowship will pair eight fellows with Washington news organizations beginning in early 2024. A new group of eight fellows will join every year, bringing the program to an annual total of 16 fellows, according to the Edward R. Murrow of Communication website.

The fellowship is open to everyone and not limited to graduates with journalism degrees because not every college or university in the state has a journalism program, he said.

“We realize that journalism education provides the training, the ethical foundation and the practical skills that help strengthen an application,” Shors said. “But we also realize that not every student had the opportunity to go into a journalism program.” 

Scholarly associate professor Lisa Waananen-Jones, who will develop the curriculum for the program, said Murrow College will do in-field training as well as ongoing mentorship. She said the Murrow college faculty feel strongly about running it this way because they can offer more than job placement.

“The curriculum and training give the fellows a chance to learn from our faculty and provide them with skills they can use right away,” she said. 

Brannon said she has a warm spot for helping other young people become significant contributors to the industry that has been important to her life. 

“I would hope that we can make sure we select change makers who love to bear the responsibility of being a journalist,” Brannon said. “If I can help them form a career that is essential to our democracy, I’ll be very happy.” 

Shors said applications for newsrooms and news organizations open Oct. 16. The fellows will apply as well, so they hope to have them in the field by spring 2024.