Phillips Journalism Institute Launches

The King’s College is proud to announce The Phillips Journalism Institute, a program that will help college students become more skillful journalists while experiencing New York City.

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Whether or not you believe the print industry is dying, one thing is certain: journalists continue to fill a crucial role in a free society. Journalism, at its core, is about factual reporting, artful storytelling, and boldly speaking truth to power —and these are things that will always be necessary. That is why The King’s College is proud to announce The Phillips Journalism Institute (phillipsjournalism.org), a program that will help college students become more skillful journalists while experiencing New York City.

New York is home to many of the most influential news groups in the world, including The New York Times Co., The Associated Press, Bloomberg LP (which owns BusinessWeek), Hearst Magazines (which owns many magazines including Elle, Esquire and Cosmo), Time Inc. magazines (which owns 95 magazines and brands including PeopleTime and Sports Illustrated), Conde Nast (which owns dozens of magazines including The New Yorker, Vogue and Wired), NBC Universal (along with CNBC, MSNBC and other cable channels), ABC (which owns ESPN , ABC News and Disney), CBS, CNN and News Corp. (which owns The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and FOX News) to name just a few. Many successful media startups are also based in New York including Mashable, Buzzfeed andBusinessInsider. In journalism, as in so many other areas, New York City occupies an unparalleled position of influence.

Kara Bettis, who graduated from The King’s College in 2014 and is now working as a reporter at The Raleigh News Observer in North Carolina, had this to say of her time spent studying journalism at King’s and in NYC, “…I learned how to approach sensitive issues and hard news with a God-honoring mindset. It is essential for Christian students to promote hope, accuracy, truth-telling, and speaking for the voiceless — especially as we ascertain how to approach the rapidly evolving landscape.”

The Phillips Journalism Institute is a new program at The King’s College that gives students who are pursuing careers in media the opportunity to study journalism while taking advantage of all that New York City has to offer. Founded by Paul Glader (a Wall Street Journal veteran and associate professor of journalism at King’s), the Institute invites Christian students from around the world to spend a semester in NYC, gain experience at news outlets, and learn from TKC faculty and media professionals. The Institute will bring in journalists for guest lectures throughout the program (such as the talk Michael Luo of The New York Times delivered on faith and journalism at The King’s College in May).

The Institute is named after John McCandlish Phillips, a star reporter for The New York Times in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. Phillips passed away in April of 2013, and The New York Times obituary in his honor praised Phillips for his professional excellence, stating, “He stood out as a tenacious reporter and a lyrical stylist…and in his hands even a routine news article seldom failed to delight.” The Journalism Institute in his name seeks to commemorate this legacy of journalistic integrity and Christian values.

Phillips was both a devout man of God, a dogged reporter and an excellent writer who understood how his faith ought to affect his work. Phillips “marveled at the humanity in this great city that he found and reported on for The New York Times. He saw the people he wrote about – saints and sinners of all stripes – as made in the image of God,” Glader said. “He exemplifies what it means to be a person of faith doing the noble and exciting work of a journalist, particularly in New York City.” Phillips was an exemplary journalist, a highly ethical man and a friend and mentor to many. PJI seeks to instill his attitude toward God, others, and journalism in its students. Read more about Phillips’s legacy here.

“Phillips believed evangelical Christians often misunderstood the media and were misunderstood by the media. The gulf between two clauses of the 1st Amendment – freedom of religion and freedom of the press — bothered him…” says Glader.  “That’s the mission of the Phillips Journalism Institute: To help bridge this gulf and to provide educational training and events that foster better understanding of the entire first Amendment for both Christians and media professionals.”

The Phillips Journalism Institute recently launched its new website. The website serves as a central hub for the institute, full of information for prospective students and interested parties about the program itself and how to apply. The website also supplies access to a free  text of a speech Phillips delivered about journalism. Visit the website for more information on the program or to sign up for this incredible opportunity.

The Phillips Journalism Institute is a part of King’s NYC Semester program, which exists to give Christian students from all over the globe the opportunity to study subjects they are interested in from a Christian framework while experiencing NYC firsthand.

In the heart of New York City, The King’s College is an accredited, Christian liberal arts college. Through the truths of Christianity and great works in politics, philosophy, and economics, we are educating the next generation of principled leaders for America. Apply to The King’s College here.


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