Current Opportunities for Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)

Ed Bradley Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: In 1994, RTDNF presented the first Ed Bradley Scholarship. Since then, 18 young and aspiring journalists have received the $10000 award created by the late CBS News and 60 Minutes correspondent.

Carole Simpson Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: Carole Simpson is a former member of the Radio Television Digital News Foundation Board of Trustees. She established the Carole Simpson Scholarship to encourage and help minority students overcome hurdles along their career path. Carole Simpson Scholarship winners are working as reporters, producers and anchors in television and radio stations across the country. The recipient of the Carole Simpson Journalism Scholarship will receive $2,000 and an invitation to the Excellence in Journalism Conference.

Pete Wilson Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: The Pete Wilson Journalism Scholarship was established in 2007 by Wilson's friends and colleagues. The scholarship is granted to an undergraduate or graduate journalism student enrolled in a Bay area school who shares Wilson's commitment to ethical, responsible journalism. The 2014 Pete Wilson Scholarship is open to graduate students and alternates each year between undergraduates and graduate applicants. The recipient of the Pete Wilson Journalism Scholarship will receive $2,000 and an invitation to the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Presidents Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: Two $1,000 awards are given each year in honor of former RTDNA Presidents Theodore Koop, Bruce Dennis, James McCulla, John Salisbury, Bruce Palmer, Dick Cheverton, Jim Byron, Ben Chatfield and John Hogan.

Lou & Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: Louis F. Prato has dedicated more than 30 years to RTDNA and RTDNF. Lou served as secretary of the RTDNF Board of Trustees, and for more than 20 years he was treasurer of the RTDNA Board of Directors.

Lou has worked as a news director, a journalism professor, a consultant, and Director of the Penn State All Sports Museum. Lou and his wife Carole live near his alma mater, Penn State University. He is the author of The Penn State Football Encyclopedia.

In recognition of his service to RTDNA and RTDNF, and his commitment to excellence in journalism, the $1000 Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship was established in 2001. It is awarded to a journalism student who brings Lou's journalism values to covering sports.

George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: George Foreman is a boxing champion, Olympic gold medal winner and celebrated pitchman. As a young man, he was inspired by President Lyndon Johnson and by RTDNF founder Barney Oldfield. In his autobiography "By George," Foreman credits LBJ's Job Corps program for rescuing him "from the gutter." He also thanks Barney Oldfield "for a lifetime of friendship, devotion, counsel, and wisdom. The world would be a far better place if everyone were lucky enough to have a friend like you."

The George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon Baines Johnson scholarship is a $6,000 award given to a journalism student from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mike Reynolds Journalism Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: Mike Reynolds, who died in 1988 of a brain tumor at age 45, was assignment editor and then managing editor at KCCI-TV in Des Moines, IA. Trustees of the fund to honor his memory require applicants for this award to be enrolled in journalism school and have good writing ability, excellent grades, a dedication to the news business, strong interest in pursuing a career in electronic journalism and a demonstrated need for financial assistance. Applicants should list media-related jobs held and contributions made to funding their own education. The recipient of the Mike Reynolds Journalism Scholarship will receive $1,000 and an invitation to the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Abe Schechter Graduate Scholarship

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: Abe Schechter, a true pioneer of radio news, became the first vice president of news for NBC. He began his career in newspapers, then moved to radio. During World War II, he became senior public relations officer for General MacArthur. He eventually returned to NBC where he helped create the Today show. From there, he became part owner of the Mutual Broadcasting System. In the 1960s Schechter founded a PR firm that he and his business partner, George Glazer, subsequently sold to Hill & Knowlton. Schechter and his wife died in a car accident in 1989. Glazer, a long-time board member of RTNDF and founder of the First Amendment Banquet, soon after Schechter’s death began raising money for a $2000 scholarship in his name.

RTDNA Scholarships

Opportunity Type: Scholarship
Application Deadline: Information available when new application period opens in January of 2015.
Description: Scholarships for Undergraduate Students All scholarships are open to enrolled students (freshmen excluded) who are pursuing careers in radio and television news. Winners are also invited to attend the Exellence in Journalism conference. Candidates must be a full-time college student whose career objective is electronic journalism and have at least one full year of college remaining. To receive an award, winners must be officially enrolled in college and be in good standing. Information about individual undergraduate scholarships: The Ed Bradley Scholarship | The Carole Simpson Scholarship | The Pete Wilson Journalism Scholarship | The Presidents Scholarship | The Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship | The George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship | The Mike Reynolds Journalism Scholarship Scholarships for Graduate Students All scholarships are open to students enrolled in a graduate program who are pursuing careers in electronic journalism. Winners are also invited to attend the Excellence in Journalism conference. Information about individual graduate scholarships: The Pete Wilson Scholarship Fellowships RTDNA offers fellowships to minority journalists and to medical and national security beat reporters. Winners are also invited to the Excellence in Journalism conference. The 2014 application period is closed. The new application period will open in January of 2015.

N.S. Bienstock Fellowship

Opportunity Type: Fellowship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: An award established in 1999 by N.S. Bienstock, Inc. owners, Richard Leibner and Carole Cooper. N.S. Bienstock is a leading talent agency in news and reality-based programming for more than 35 years and is a long-time member of RTDNA. This award recognizes a promising minority journalist in radio or television news.

In addition to the $2,500 award, winners are invited to attend the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Michele Clark Fellowship

Opportunity Type: Fellowship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: RTDNF's first fellowship is named for the CBS News correspondent who was killed in a plane crash while on assignment in 1972. Her family and colleagues at CBS sent money in lieu of flowers to create a fund in her name, endowing a permanent $1,000 award for young, promising minority professionals in television or radio news.

In addition to the $1,000 award, winners of the Michele Clark Fellowships are invided to attend the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Vada and Col. Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellowship

Opportunity Type: Fellowship
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
Description: A $1,000 award, created by the RTDNF Board of Trustees in honor of the names it bears. Barney and Vada served in WWII and both had illustrious military careers. Barney's long and impressive career included a stint as a Hollywood studio publicist, WWII Army and post-war Air Force public relations officer, author, lecturer, businessman and philanthropist who founded over 40 private foundations including RTDNF. This award is given annually to a reporter or producer in radio or television news to help them cover national defense and security issues.

In addition to the $1,000 award, winners are invited to attend the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Jacque I. Minnotte Health Reporting Fellowship

Opportunity Type: Fellowship
Application Deadline: May 02, 2024
Description: This award was created to honor former news director and Medstar executive Jacque Minnotte, who died in 1993. This fellowship recognizes excellence in health or medical television and radio reporting. RTNDF will award a $2,000 cash fellowship to a journalist in radio and television with fewer than 10 years of experience.

In addition to the $2,000 award, winners of the Jacque I. Minnotte Health Reporting Fellowship are invited to attend the Excellence in Journalism conference.

Contact Information

Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
The National Press Building, 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 1240
Washington, D.C., DC 20045
www.rtdna.org/