Why Does Local Journalism Matter?
To have a healthy democracy and a thriving community, we need an engaged and informed citizenry. By strengthening local news, we help all people access important information, share ideas in constructive ways, and elevate the voices and stories of underrepresented people.
To advance this pillar of civic engagement, the DCF partners with the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) to operate the DCF Journalism Internship Program.
Funded by the DCF and LJI, this program embeds college students who are aspiring journalists as reporting interns in Delaware news outlets. The goals of the DCF Journalism Internship Program are to:
- Increase high-quality local news, which strengthens our democracy and civic engagement;
- Increase coverage of Delaware’s BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color) and other historically underrepresented communities; and
- Increase the population of future journalists who have experience with and are committed to covering historically underrepresented communities, including BIPOC.
About the 2023 DCF Journalism Internship Program
Bryce Jenkins and Cal Ransom were selected for the 2023 DCF Journalism Internship Program.
Jenkins is a senior at Hofstra University and is studying graphic design. A Wilmington native, he began working as a photographer at his first high school, the Design Lab Academy, taking photos for the school’s paper and website. Unfortunately, the school shut down before Jenkins’ senior year, forcing him to switch to Mount Pleasant High School. Upon graduation, Jenkins started at Hofstra University, taking classes in graphic design, video editing and photography editing.
Cal Ransom is going into their third year at Oberlin College in the fall of 2023 and is studying sociology with a concentration in journalism. At Oberlin College, Cal is a co-host of WOBC Radio News on campus as well as a news editor of The Oberlin Review.
Mark Eichmann, the senior managing editor at WHYY, was a mentor to Cal while they were an intern. Mark was pleased with how well Cal picked up working in the newsroom and brought good press from a few of the stories they reported on.
“Cal came in every week with good story ideas and was able to translate many of them into informative pieces that aired on WHYY-FM and published on WHYY.org. Cal was the first to report on the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association adding a first transgender person to serve on one of its committees,” said Eichmann. “Cal also developed a pair of stories about Delaware’s newly forming recreational marijuana industry that drew lots of online traffic from around the region. Cal has a great future ahead, and we’re happy to have had their talents at WHYY this summer.”
Questions? Contact Allison Taylor Levine, 302.345.0589.
The internship program is conducted in partnership with the Maryland Delaware DC Press Association, which manages the application process.