Two SPAS Students Accepted to The New York Times 2014 Student Journalism Institute

Two talented RIT photojournalism students, Evan Ortiz and Elijah Walker, have been accepted to The New York Times 2014 Student Journalism Institute. Ortiz and Walker applied to the Institute during the fall semester, submitting an essay and a portfolio of images as part of the application process. The pair learned last week that they will join students from around the United States at Dillard University in New Orleans in May. There they will spend two weeks honing their journalistic skills while supervised by reporters and editors from The New York Times.

The Institute focuses on every aspect of news production including reporting, copy editing, photography, web production, newspaper page design, video journalism and interactive news.

Ortiz and Walker, along with other student members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), will cover news events in and around New Orleans and produce coverage that meets the standards of some of the most highly regarded news organizations in the nation.

The workshop will offer students hands-on experience in an intense but supportive environment. It will also be a fantastic opportunity for Ortiz and Walker to interact with an impressive group of burgeoning young journalists. There are some 400 alumni of the Student Journalism Institute now working at news organizations around the country, including the Associated Press, Reuters, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, The Washington Post and The New York Times itself.

Congratulations Evan and Elijah!