Diversity Leadership Academy (2025)

$1,350.00

Diversity Leadership Academy

Diversity Leadership Academy (2025)

The Diversity Leadership Academy’s track record speaks for itself: over 200 journalists of color have advanced their careers through this intensive weeklong program at The Poynter Institute. Faculty Tony Elkins, Fernanda Camarena and Kerwin Speight lead participants through transformative training in management and ethical leadership that addresses the unique challenges facing media leaders today.

November 3, 2025– November 7, 2025

Overview

  • Travel to Poynter in St. Petersburg, Florida, for five days of transformational teaching.
  • Expand your network of support through your cohort and instructors.
  • Explore your Strengths Profile and personal leadership style.
  • Learn techniques to handle complicated situations.
  • Use your unique strengths to manage across differences.
  • Get Poynter’s signature frameworks for approaching ethical challenges.
  • Tuition is $1,350; attendees are responsible for travel costs.
  • The 2025 program takes place Nov. 3-7.
  • The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 15.

$1,350.00

SKU: DLEAD-25 Tags: , , , , ,

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this program, you will:

  • Develop effective management styles that leverage your authentic leadership
  • Navigate newsroom and digital culture with confidence
  • Build collaborative teams that harness diverse perspectives
  • Manage across differences, turning diversity into a competitive advantage
  • Identify and learn how to manage using your unique strengths
  • Apply techniques to handle complicated situations
  • Practice ethical leadership principles to create healthy newsroom culture
Diversity Leadership Academy

$1,350.00

Overview

  • Travel to Poynter in St. Petersburg, Florida, for five days of transformational teaching.
  • Expand your network of support through your cohort and instructors.
  • Explore your Strengths Profile and personal leadership style.
  • Learn techniques to handle complicated situations.
  • Use your unique strengths to manage across differences.
  • Get Poynter’s signature frameworks for approaching ethical challenges.
  • Tuition is $1,350; attendees are responsible for travel costs.
  • The 2025 program takes place Nov. 3-7.
  • The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 15.

Training 5 or More People?
get consulting & coaching

Join the ninth cohort of Poynter’s annual Diversity Leadership Academy, where journalists of color develop management skills through “liberating” peer conversations and “life-changing” training. This weeklong workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida, provides the tools for diverse leaders to navigate complexity and drive meaningful change in their newsrooms.

The Diversity Leadership Academy addresses the specific challenges journalists of color encounter in newsrooms:

  • Navigating race and legacy systems in organizations 
  • Being delegated to race-related beats or stories
  • Lack of access to mentorship and leadership pathways
  • Pressure to represent or speak for entire communities
  • Extra scrutiny of their objectivity or professionalism

For leaders of color, advancing to executive roles often demands elements beyond talent and experience, such as strategy, connections, and confidence to lead with authenticity. This transformative program supports and trains them to thrive as effective change agents in today’s news landscape.

“I feel like this training has changed the trajectory of my career in massive ways, for the better.”
– Wesley Early, Anchorage Reporter, Alaska Public Media

Apply as soon as you know you’re interested. The application deadline for this year’s Diversity Leadership Academy is Monday, Sept. 15.

Applicant resources:

Questions?

If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.

Nov. 3-7, 2025
The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida

This in-person program includes an opening reception, five days of intensive training, coaching sessions, and networking activities. All sessions are designed to respond to current industry trends and evolving management challenges. See the previous cohort announcement for an idea of what to expect.

 

Who should enroll? 

This program serves journalists of color with five or more years of experience in management. Poynter selects a small cohort through a review process that emphasizes creating diversity across race, ethnicity, geography, age, platform, organization size, and expertise.

English-fluent journalists of color working in U.S. news media organizations or international organizations with similar structures are encouraged to apply. We seek participants from diverse career backgrounds and organizations, including television, radio, digital-only, start-ups, and nonprofits.

The selection process prioritizes creating a rich mix of personal and professional experience. Through eight iterations of this program, Poynter has coached over 200 journalists of color in their leadership journey.

Cost

Tuition is $1,350 and covers the opening reception, training, coaching and lunch daily.

Participants are also responsible for travel and accommodation costs.

Poynter negotiates a rate with a full-service hotel within walking distance from campus, which is typically around $169/night and includes a $15 daily food and beverage credit. We strongly recommend each participant stay at the preferred hotel to streamline communications, transportation and networking opportunities.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 15. 

Instructors

  • Tony Elkins
    Faculty
    Tony Elkins, a citizen of the Comanche Nation, is a faculty member at Poynter. His portfolio includes Poynter's early and mid-career leadership workshops Essential Skills...
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  • Fernanda Camarena
    Faculty
    Fernanda Camarena is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience in the media industry. As a full-time faculty member at Poynter Institute,...
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  • Kerwin Speight
    Faculty, Poynter
    Kerwin Speight is an award-winning television journalist, with more than 20 years of journalism and leadership experience, and a strong track record of producing local...
    Read More

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