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STX, February 12, 2020). Last year, despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, UVI comm students placed among the top winners of the Southern Regional Press Institute hosted by Savannah State University. This year, Nadege Barber, president of the University of the Virgin Islands Association Of Black Journalists (UVIABJ) proudly announced that a record number of students have entered their media-related productions for competition in the 71st SRPI. “It is so inspiring to know that our students aspire to be recognized, nationally, for their contributions to journalism,” said Barber, who is studying abroad this semester at the University of Aalborg in Denmark for the semester. They have submitted original work in the categories of mini-documentaries, photography news,
Founded in 1951, it is the third-oldest scholastic journalism institute founded at a historically black college and university (HBCU) after the establishment of press associations at Florida A&M University (1950) and Lincoln University, Missouri (1949). Prior to integration, it played a significant role in the training and professional development of many of the country’s most renowned African-American journalists.
The two-day conference features keynote speakers, multiple concurrent workshops, contests, and a job fair. Through its workshops and speakers, SRPI provides training for elementary, middle, high school, and college students with an interest in mass media. The workshops are instructed by nationally-respected journalists and media professionals. From 2013-2020, the institute has hosted more than 200 professional guest speakers.
