CNN Academy to host 5-day training bootcamp for U.S. colleges in Atlanta

CNN Academy to host 5-day training bootcamp for U.S. colleges in Atlanta

– Eight colleges from four states to gather at CNN’s state-of-the-art Techwood campus –

Atlanta October 9^th 2024.  CNN is bringing its successful journalism training program, CNN Academy, to the United States for the first time, with eight U.S. colleges set to take part in a special 5-day bootcamp in Atlanta, beginning this Saturday.

Students from the University of Alabama, Clark Atlanta University, University of Florida, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Howard University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College will convene at CNN’s Techwood campus from October 12^th to 16^th to learn from CNN anchors, correspondents, editors, producers, and executives.

Established in 2020, CNN Academy builds on a long tradition established by the network’s founder, Ted Turner.  Its aim is to nurture the skills and talent of the next generation of journalists and content creators, forging new links and opening new doors for their future careers.  More than 1,000 students from all over the world have participated in CNN Academy programs, and it has partnered with educational institutions in Spain, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico, Hong Kong, Iraq and the UAE.

Students attending the Atlanta bootcamp will cover topics including the art of storytelling, mobile journalism, ethics, artificial intelligence and writing for digital platforms.  Once their training is complete, they will head out into the field to gather content for their own stories and present them at the end of the 5-day course.

Following the bootcamp, 24 students from Georgia Tech, University of Florida, Clark Atlanta and University of Alabama will be among 160 of their peers from around the world who will gather in the UAE to take part in a special CNN Academy Newsroom Simulation in Abu Dhabi.  There they will engage in a week-long immersive exercise centered on the role of Artificial Intelligence in the newsroom and learn the fundamentals of investigative reporting.

Mike McCarthy, Managing Editor at CNN, said: “This is a landmark moment for CNN Academy, welcoming a diverse group of students from these outstanding American colleges to take part in what will be a very special bootcamp.  It’s a particular thrill to be welcoming them to our original home in Atlanta, with its brand-new CNN studios and state-of-the-art facilities.  The students joining us here will get to work with a formidable line-up of experts from across the network, and we’re delighted that some will also be able to join us in Abu Dhabi in December for our unique CNN Academy Simulation.”

Thanks to a partnership with CNN Academy, Delta Air Lines is providing the students traveling from the United States free travel to the UAE.

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