Registration is now open for Elevate 2026: The HBCU Digital Media Conference. This two-day convening brings together HBCU student journalists, emerging media leaders, campus publishers, industry stakeholders, and leading professionals for hands-on training, critical conversations, and real-world exposure to emerging tools, career pathways, and professional development opportunities.
HBCU student newsrooms, spread across Southern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and Mid-Atlantic states, have the potential to serve both urban and rural communities struggling with unequal access to information. However, these newsrooms often lack resources. The HBCU Digital Media Collaborative steps in to bridge this gap. We aim to connect them with industry experts, cutting-edge technology, and essential training, while also fostering collaboration between student newsrooms and local news outlets. Our mission is to build a sustainable future for both campus and local journalism, ensuring a strong voice for communities most vulnerable to information inequity.
3:04 min.
Every newsroom has unique challenges, and we want to understand yours. Department administrators and student media advisors interested in joining the HBCU Digital Media Collaborative must complete a brief survey. Your responses help guide us in supporting newsrooms like yours.
The Center for Collaborative Journalism at Montclair State University describes collaborative journalism as a journalistic practice where “individuals and organizations work together to create, publish, and disseminate news stories.”
The Collaborative will offer labs to transform student news websites, live and on-demand virtual learning opportunities, internship and digital media fellowship opportunities, digital journalism conferences, editorial guidance, and a platform for publishing student reporting.
Yes! And it comes with benefits.
Student media at the nation’s HBCUs are encouraged to register for membership. Member benefits are designed to extend to HBCU departments and faculty, student journalists, and campus media advisors.
The Online Publishing Lab will assemble HBCU student newsrooms every three months to participate in lab programming on a rolling basis.
We’d love to answer them. Please direct your questions to info@hbcucollaborative. Are you a department administrator, professor, or student newsroom advisor? Schedule a time to speak with us.
