Last updated Sept. 22, 2022.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 1, 2022) — The Poynter Institute, renowned for longstanding excellence in training newsroom leaders, is delighted to announce the second of three classes selected for its eighth annual Leadership Academy for Women in Media. This newest cohort of 29 leaders comes from news organizations all over the United States, as well as Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Pakistan and the Philippines.
“Our latest group of news leaders was assembled with an eye to their tenure in journalism. Averaging 15 years in the newsroom, they are among the most seasoned cohorts to join us at Poynter,” said Doris Truong, Poynter director of teaching and diversity strategies. “Because of their time in the industry, we expect they will be eager to share their unique perspectives and to learn from and lift up one another. It’s always exciting to have such an international cohort, too, because we recognize that challenges and solutions are shared.”
The Leadership Academy for Women in Media is one of Poynter’s most competitive programs. It is designed for women and nonbinary journalists who directly manage people. In 2023, the program will focus on participants within their first five years of formal leadership experience. During the weeklong academy, participants grow their self-awareness, harness their leadership potential, learn how to foster belonging, empathy and inspiration on their teams, and guide their organizations through crisis and opportunity.
“My favorite part was feeling like I was actively problem solving while I was there,” said Sarah Menendez, head of operations at City Cast and a graduate from Poynter’s most recent academy in May. “It just felt so active. It didn’t feel like I was waiting to go back to my work to do the work. I was there doing the work.”
Participants also become part of a tight-knit, supportive community of leaders dedicated to helping each other succeed.“Poynter was the first time I was in a group of people from other news organizations in such a safe space where we could speak freely, and we could know that there was a circle of trust in the room,” said Corinne Chin, director of news talent at The Associated Press and 2018 alum. “To have the support network and have this personal board of directors was so valuable.”
RELATED TRAINING: Apply for the 2023 Leadership Academy for Women in Media by Sept. 9, 2022.
September academy line-up
The September academy will kick off with a keynote address from Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Inc. and Fast Company. During a fireside chat with Poynter senior vice president Kelly McBride, Mehta will talk about the importance of using positional power to lift up others.
Those selected for this cohort will also participate in an intensive workshop about trauma-informed leadership with program director Samantha Ragland. Other training sessions during the week include the ever-popular work-life chemistry talk and a values listening exercise with Poynter faculty Kristen Hare, and retaining diverse talent and getting smarter about conflict with Truong.
Program alumni return to the academy as guest faculty, strengthening the connective tissue between the different cohorts and demonstrating the impact of the programming. Erin Peterson, director of innovation for TEGNA and graduate of the 2019 spring academy, will lead a workshop about how to create a culture of innovation with idea incubation. Sushil Cheema, executive coach and graduate of the 2019 fall academy, will share her in-demand training on change management in the workplace.
Alumni also contribute to the program’s excellence as coaches. Tampa Bay Times columnist Stephanie Hayes and PolitiFact managing editor Katie Sanders will help participants process feedback from their boss, peers and direct reports, as well as navigate any other career challenges. Additional coaches include retired Tampa Bay Times senior deputy editor Maria Carrillo, Clearlink president of consumer brands Sharon Prill and Tampa Bay Times communications director Sherri Day.
Meet the September 2022 cohort
Those chosen for Poynter’s 2022 Leadership Academy for Women in Media passed through multiple rounds of review with an emphasis to ensure diversity across race, ethnicity, geography, age, platform/medium, organization size and expertise to further enrich the participant experience. The academy takes place three times each year, and participants for all three academies are selected at the same time.
