According to the Pew Research Center, Black journalists only represent 6% of all current working journalists. Pitt Magazine Senior Editor and Department of Africana Studies adjunct instructor Ervin Dyer, and teaching professor Liberty Ferda are looking to improve this percentage through the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation.
Dyer is the treasurer of the PBMF, which “seeks fair representation of the African American community in the news and an increased presence of journalists of color in newsrooms. PBMF also was designed to create a social network for Black media professionals in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas” according to the website. Dyer, along with Ferda, decided to join forces and help pave the way for young Black and brown journalists at Pitt.
The PBMF has been around for 52 years and for three decades it held a high school journalism workshop. In recent years, Dyer says, PBMF wanted its outreach to include more college students as well.
“We've been trying to figure out how to connect to older students who are interested in communications and journalism and writing. So, we created an internship program where PBMF actually does the interviewing and the finding of the students and tries then to link them to media organizations or organizations that have writing or communications needs.”
PBMF’s Chris Moore Internship Program – named for Chris Moore a pioneering broadcast journalist in Pittsburgh – started two years ago, but Pitt only got involved at the end of last year. Ferda, who offers writing workshops to non-traditional students and community members, came to Dyer with the idea of having PBMF connect with Pitt.
“We usually announce the internship opportunity in late November. We make our choices in early January or late December and the students start in mid-January, so they have almost four months of their internship. We like them to stay for a year if they can, but it depends on their school schedules because we want them to be strong students,” says Dyer.
There are currently two students and one alum involved in the program.
Tafarah Cherilus successfully earned an internship and is working directly with PBMF and has the opportunity to write for other local media. In addition to Cherilus, two other Pitt students are participating in this year’s Chris Moore Internship.
Donni Rae Blackwell is working with the online news platform NextPittsburgh. There she serves as the Press Forward Fellow and will be responsible for primarily developing articles on Pittsburgh’s African American communities. Blackwell graduated in December 2024 with a major in Film and Media Studies.
Toni Jackson, a Pitt junior who is majoring in English, is an intern for Propel Schools. She is leaning toward a media career in public relations and work in the public relations area with Propel Schools.
Rogers and Jeff Heinzl, a teaching assistant professor and internship coordinator for the Department of English, are excited for students to utilize this new resource. They say the internships are not limited to students in the Department of English, however, funding is. Rogers says, “If they're an English major, minor, or seeking a certificate, they're eligible for most of our funds to subsidize them.” Something to keep in mind when applying.
Rogers says “There is a known deficit of Black journalists and journalists who cover Black issues in Southwest Pennsylvania. It is not a terribly diverse profession. So, we think this helps further the mission and the service of what the PBMF does for Southwest Pennsylvania. And that includes helping create a pipeline of future Black aspiring students or early career journalists who want to cover Black issues in Pittsburgh.”
For students looking for internships in writing, media, and publishing, you can find more information here and for students looking to apply through the PBMF program, you can visit their website for more information.