Radio Television Digital News Foundation

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OVERVIEW: RTDNF funds fellowships for journalists and scholarships for journalism students. It also runs awards programs for excellence in journalism.

IP TAKE: The Radio Television Digital News Foundation runs a broad range of scholarship and fellowship programs to support “aspiring and early career broadcast and digital journalists.” Several of these focus on journalists from underrepresented groups, while others are limited to students of journalism at select universities. The application process for scholarships and fellowships is streamlined in a single application portal, with applications generally due on a designated date in December of each year. This is an approachable organization, so reach out with questions about the application process at any time and take advantage of its online educational resources.

PROFILE: Created in 1946, the Washington, D.C.-based Radio Television Digital News Foundation (RTDNF) is the philanthropic arm of the Radio Television Digital News Association, “the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism.” Its mission is to “promote and protect responsible journalism.” RTDNF supports broadcast and digital journalism through scholarships for students and fellowships for young professionals and minority journalists. Its parent association also runs journalism awards programs.

Grants for Journalism, Civic Engagement and Democracy

Scholarships support full-time journalism students pursuing careers in radio, television or digital journalism. Freshmen are generally ineligible. In addition to funding, recipients receive an invitation to the annual RTDNA conference.

  • The Ed Bradley Scholarship, established by the famed 60 Minutes correspondent, makes a grant of $10,000 to an aspiring journalist of color attending Northwestern University and pursuing a career in “radio, television or digital journalism.”

  • The George Foreman Tribute to Lyndon B. Johnson Scholarship, created by the boxing legend, honors the former president by awarding $6,000 to a University of Texas at Austin student.

  • The Bob Horner Scholarship was established by Bob Horner, a veteran television news executive and the founder of the NBC News Channel. It is awarded in the amount of $2,500. This scholarship is open to any undergraduate journalism or communications student who plans to “pursue a career in career in broadcast journalism or in some form of journalism that emphasizes the use of video, including documentaries and digital platforms, with the intention to benefit the general public.”

  • David Louie established the David Louie Scholarship in 2022 to mark his retirement from ABC after 50 years in broadcast news. This $2,000 award is restricted to journalism students at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and prioritizes students “of Asian American descent.”

  • The Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship, created to honor the former longtime RTDNA employee of the same name, provides $1,000 to a journalism student seeking a career in sports journalism.

  • The President's Scholarship awards scholarships of $2,500 to undergraduate students of journalism in honor of past RTDNA presidents.

  • The Mike Reynolds Scholarship, named for former managing editor at KCCI-TV in Des Moines, supports “a journalism student with good writing ability, excellent grades, a dedication to the news business, a strong interest in pursuing a career in electronic journalism and a demonstrated need for financial assistance” with an award of $1,000.

  • The Carole Simpson Scholarship, established by the first African American woman to anchor a network TV evening broadcast and the first to moderate a presidential debate, is awarded in the amount of $2,000. The scholarship aims “to encourage and help minority students to overcome hurdles along their career path in electronic journalism.”

  • The Lee Thornton Scholarship, created by the first African American woman to cover the White House for a major news network and the first African American host of All Things Considered on NPR, supports journalism students at the University of Maryland and Howard University with a $2,000 scholarship.

  • The Pete Wilson Journalism Scholarship, established to honor the San Francisco television and radio journalist, supports graduate students in journalism from or attending college in the San Francisco Bay area with a $2,000 scholarship. 

Fellowships are open to professional broadcast or digital reporters with less than 10 years of experience.  All fellows receive an invitation to attend the RTDNA’s annual conference.

  • The Michele Clark Fellowship honors a CBS News correspondent who died in a plane crash in 1972 en route to an assignment. The $1,000 fellowship supports “a young, promising minority professional in television, radio or digital news.”

  • The N.S. Bienstock Fellowship was established by the owners of the Bienstock Company, “a leading talent agency in news and reality-based programming.” The fellowship “recognizes a promising minority journalist in radio, television or digital news” with an award in the amount of $2,500.

  • The Vada and Col. Barney Oldfield National Security Reporting Fellowship honors a founder of RTDNA by supporting “a reporter or producer in radio, television or digital news engaged covering national defense and security” with an award of $1,000.

The following RTDNA awards programs recognize excellence in journalism but do not grant monetary prizes.

  • First Amendment Awards “honor individuals and organizations that exemplify responsible journalism and practice their constitutionally guaranteed duty to seek and report the truth.” In addition to journalists, the program has recognized “network anchors, members of the U.S. House of Representatives and multiple U.S. Senators.”

    This program does not accept applications or nominations. Past recipients include Lester Holt, Cokie Roberts, 60 Minutes, Tom Curley and Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.

  • The John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award is named for the first president of RTDNA and “recognizes an individual's contributions to the journalism profession and freedom of the press.” This program does not accept applications or nominations. Past recipients include Boyd Huppert, Richard Engel and Soledad O’Brien.

  • The prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards “recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community.” Each year, multiple awards are given to news organizations operating in small and large markets for stories in multiple categories of “tv & radio” and digital news genres. A separate category recognizes student productions.

    There is a fee for submitting an application to this awards program, and applications are generally due in February for news programs and projects that aired the prior year. In addition to major national news networks, Murrow awards have gone to the Center for Public Integrity, ProPublica, New York City’s The Intercept, the Detroit Free Press, Alabama Public Radio and others.

  • In only its third year, the Lauren Tobia Leadership Award is the organizations newest program. It recognizes “a journalist who exemplifies true leadership within their company or organization during a given year.”

  • The Paul White Award is named for CBS’s first news director and “recognizes an individual's lifetime contributions to electronic journalism.” This program nominates candidates internally. Past recipients include Pierre Thomas, Judy Woodruff, Charlie Rose, Leslie Stahl and Chris Wallace.

In addition to these scholarship, fellowship and awards programs, RTDNA provides a broad range of online resources related to journalism and media education.

Important Grant Details:

RTDNF’s scholarships and fellowships are awarded in amounts specified by each individual program and generally range from $1,000 to $10,000.

  • Most programs accept applications and/or nominations, but eligibility varies by program. .

  • Applications may be submitted through the organization’s application portal with a due date in December of each year.

  • Applicants are required to submit links to 3-5 work samples and include a cover letter, resume and letter of recommendation.

  • View the FAQs and application checklist before applying.

  • The foundation also accepts applications from news organizations for its Edward R. Morrow Awards. These applications are due in February, and there is an application fee.

General inquiries may be submitted to the organization via its contact page.

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