Hearst establishes biz journalism fellowships at Columbia

Hearst Corp. and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism announced Monday the establishment of the Hearst Fellowship Fund in Business Journalism at the university.

The program will provide financial assistance to graduate students in the business and economics concentration of the school’s Master of Arts program. The goal is to attract the best qualified student for the program by removing the financial burden that might otherwise prevent him or her from attending the school.

“Any company that desires to provide news, information and perspective to the public must also embrace a mission: a commitment to journalistic excellence and the passionate pursuit of the truth. The Hearst Fellowship Fund at Columbia helps us stay true to this goal,” said Victor F. Ganzi, president and CEO of Hearst.

A cornerstone of the business and economics concentration is a seminar taught by professors Sylvia Nasar and James Stewart. The program is constructed in conjunction with faculty from the Columbia Business School and the economics department of the faculty of Arts and Sciences. One of its organizing principles is to use a news event as a way of understanding larger economic themes.

The first Hearst Fellowships in Business Journalism are expected to be awarded in 2008. Three fellowships will be awarded each year and recipients will receive substantial financial aid.

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