Dow Jones News Fund names new managing director

Richard Levine, the president of the Dow Jones News Fund, sent out the following announcement on Monday:

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Linda Shockley as managing director of the Dow Jones News Fund.

Since April, Linda has led the Fund in her capacity as deputy director, a position she assumed in 1992, four years after joining the Fund as assistant to the director. Linda’s experience and her commitment to the Fund’s mission of promoting journalism careers among students and helping diversify the nation’s newsrooms will be invaluable in her new role.

While her background is in print journalism, Linda has acquired a broad range of digital skills, which she has employed to develop and oversee the website, produce the annual report, digitize internal operations and make social media an important part of the Fund’s work and communications. These skills will enable her to strengthen and expand the Fund’s digital programs while maintaining quality instruction in the basics of journalism—accurate and unbiased reporting, clear and compelling writing and superb copy editing.

During her quarter century with the Fund, Linda’s primary responsibilities included managing the Fund’s support of summer high school journalism workshops to promote diversity and the business reporting internship program since its inception in 1995. She has also been responsible for Adviser Update, the quarterly newspaper for high school media teachers, alumni relations and the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year program.

Before joining the Fund, Linda spent more than 12 years as an education reporter, news editor, bureau chief, columnist and city editor at what was then Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Westchester County, New York.

She holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Bridgeport and has been the recipient of many honors for her work in scholastic journalism. These include the Robert Knight Multicultural Recruitment Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication; a Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association. Linda is a member of the American Society of News Editors and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Please join me in congratulating Linda on her appointment as managing director.