Comcast NBCUniversal Partners With News Is Out and Word in Black To Launch Fellowship Program That Highlights Black and LGBTQ+ Issues

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / February 19, 2024 / News is Out, a queer media collaborative of six of the nation's legendary LGBTQ+ publications, and Word In Black, a collaborative of ten of the nation's legendary Black publishers, are joining Comcast NBCUniversal for a groundbreaking initiative: The Digital Equity Local Voices Lab.

Through Project UP, Comcast's $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity and economic opportunities, the company is donating more than $1 million to launch this first-of-its-kind Lab that supports coverage of Black and LGBTQ+ topics in the media and supports emerging journalists with a passion for reporting on issues of importance to these communities.

Together, the three organizations will work to shed light on issues within marginalized communities across 16 news publications with the training and resources needed to tell these stories through media and technology and celebrate the work being done by Black and LGBTQ+ leaders in their communities.

"Word In Black is looking forward to working with our colleagues at News is Out and Comcast NBCUniversal on this groundbreaking fellowship program," said Chris Bennett, publisher of the Seattle Medium and member of the Word In Black collaboration. "Uplifting the voices of journalists and publishers who are dedicated to covering Black and LGBTQ+ stories is vital to the future of inclusive media."

Specifically, the Lab will elevate Black and LGBTQ+ perspectives through content creation and content sharing with NBCUniversal and NBCU Academy during a year-long fellowship program that places 16 fellows at the 16 participating news organizations.

Fellows will be part of a cohort that receives best practices and learnings from journalists and media professionals at News is Out, Word In Black, and NBCUniversal. They will also report on stories of Black and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and creatives in their communities, share training and resources on using technology more in their daily lives, report on policy related to access to technology and connectivity, and share the work being done to advance digital equity.

"As a Black queer woman, I know the impact of empowering and elevating Black and LGBTQ+ voices," said Eboné F. Bell, publisher of Tagg Magazine. "This project gives us an opportunity to instill a great amount of knowledge and experience in fellows who can help amplify the voice of these communities in the media industry."