Meet our Grantees
Baruch College/Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/areas_of_study/arts_and_humanities/journalism.htm
What kind of craziness is this -- starting a new department of journalism at a time when the profession seems to be dying?
Baruch College convinced us that its new Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions is just what's needed right now to bring new ideas, new models and new talent to the field to produce high quality, independent journalism, which is so important to American democracy and an informed, engaged society. So The Harnisch Foundation and The William F. Harnisch Foundation teamed up to provide funding for the new department.
Under the leadership of Professor Geanne Rosenberg, the Harnisches' combined $1 million grant is being used to create a state-of-the-art multimedia lab, "Studio H." In addition, Geanne is directing a series of collaborative projects, with many other prominent journalism experts, designed to help support a future for high quality journalism and to help Baruch's new department build a national reputation as a center of excellence. Among the projects, the development of a "hyper-local" news site that will be used as an experimental venue for community building and revenue-building strategies that can support high-quality journalism.
Geanne Rosenberg is another one of The HF's favorite visionary leaders. We like to invest in people whose energy, ideas, and work ethic produce
a big bang for the philanthropic buck. Geanne is a tireless networker, dedicated teacher, and a thoughtful fiduciary. She creates opportunities for students, faculty, and journalism itself.
The student body at Baruch College is the most ethnically diverse in the United States, and many of the students are adults who have jobs and children. So HF also funds several Harnisch Journalism Scholars, who receive full-year, full-tuition scholarships and internship opportunities.
While some old media forms are dying, we hope the new Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions at Baruch will reinvigorate journalism by devising new approaches; building an actively participating audience that recognizes, values and produces high quality news; and training the next generation of journalists.