Reynolds Foundation Creates Visiting Business Journalism Professor Program

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has awarded a five-year, $1.67 million grant to Arizona State University to establish a visiting business journalism professors program. The program will create 11 visiting professorships at 11 different schools. It will be administered through the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, headquartered at the Cronkite School. The Reynolds Visiting Professorships will be modeled on successful programs at the Cronkite School and Washington and Lee University. “Our goal in establishing the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism in the Cronkite School at ASU was to have a transformative impact on business reporting and the profession of business journalism,” said Steve Anderson, president of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. “The faculty and staff at the Cronkite School have done such an extraordinary job in meeting that goal that our trustees have now approved additional funding to expand the reach of the program into 11 additional journalism schools across the country under the direction and leadership of the Cronkite School.” Andrew Leckey, president of the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism, will oversee the program. Leckey will collaborate with the Reynolds Endowed Chairs in Business Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Nevada, Reno, and Washington and Lee University in identifying other top schools to participate. “We’re so proud and honored that the Cronkite School was chosen to lead this initiative designed to advance business journalism education,” said Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan. Leckey said the program would enable students at J-schools across the nation to get valuable training in a specialized and critical area of journalism. In addition to teaching courses in business journalism, the visiting professors will establish partnerships with local business media and contribute to businessjournalism.org and Reynolds Center webinars, which provide resources and training enabling professional business journalists to excel at their craft. The schools will provide space as well as technical and administrative support for the professors. “The visiting professor program will have direct impact on expanding business journalism education at our nation’s universities to meet growing demand for trained journalists in this vital field,” said Leckey. “Like our annual weeklong Business Journalism Professors Seminar, it underscores our steadfast commitment to improving coverage of the world of money.”