PMJA Announces 2025 Cohort for Opening Doors Initiative 

(June 11, 2025) – The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) is proud to introduce the ten BIPOC journalism students selected for its Opening Doors initiative, a groundbreaking program designed to increase diversity in science, health, and economics reporting within public media 

Funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Opening Doors provides a vital pathway for emerging journalists from underrepresented backgrounds to gain critical newsroom experience, professional mentorship, and industry connections. The initiative underscores PMJA’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive media landscape, one that reflects and serves diverse communities through equitable and impactful reporting. 

Building the Next Generation of Public Media Journalists 

Over the course of the program, participants will take part in a two-day workshop in Kansas City, held in conjunction with PMJA2025, where they will receive hands-on training in editorial best practices, ethics, and the nuances of science reporting in public media. Additionally, they will engage with industry leaders, attend the full PMJA conference, and establish valuable professional connections. 

To further their development, students will be matched with seasoned mentors, experienced public media professionals  who will provide career guidance, skill-building opportunities, and support as students navigate their entry into the field. 

A key component of the initiative is its paid internship program, which will place students at public radio stations nationwide. By subsidizing these internships, PMJA aims to remove financial barriers and ensure that participants gain meaningful, hands-on experience covering local stories that resonate with and inform communities. 

Through Opening Doors, PMJA seeks to foster a journalism workforce that better reflects the diversity of the audiences it serves while strengthening public media’s capacity to cover science, health, and economics in impactful ways. The program is expected to bolster a new generation of journalists committed to telling critical stories that might otherwise go under-reported. 

Outreach for the program began in February 2025, and students will begin their internships during the 2025-2026 academic year. By investing in emerging talent, PMJA and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation are helping to build a more representative and resilient public media system. 

About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation  

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a not-for-profit, mission-driven grantmaking institution dedicated to improving the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Corporation, the Foundation makes grants in four broad areas: direct support of research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics; initiatives to increase the quality, equity, and diversity of scientific institutions and the science workforce; projects to develop or leverage technology to empower research; and efforts to enhance and deepen public engagement with science and scientists.