What's next? Veteran journalist and educator explores new horizons

I'm starting 2024 off with a bang. After four years with Stand Together Fellowships' Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship for early-career journalists, focusing on local news, ended on Friday, May 17. That means it's time to explore the next chapter in my career.

As the fellowship's co-director, with the wonderful Kristen Hare of the Poynter Institute , since August 2022, I had the chance to flex from the newsroom and use my journalism network to teach, mentor and offer career advisory skills to benefit the 60 participants in the program.

Most of my career has been in trade journalism, but the fellowship allowed me to see the challenges and opportunities in local news, and now I'm hooked. My running joke is that this wonderful job finally paid me to do the work I've been doing for free for more than 30 years.

While I'm sad the fellowship ended with the 2023-24 cohort, I'm proud of my work as a mentor, advisor, teacher and recruiter since 2020. Our past fellows have been doing amazing work (including a Pulitzer Prize winner ), and I continue to applaud them all.

What am I looking for in my next iteration? The chance to serve, whether in a permanent position or as a consultant. Here are a few of my ideas:

• Develop and execute journalism curriculum programs for newsrooms, nonprofit organizations or existing fellowship programs;
• Copy edit and/or fact-check stories for smaller newsrooms (you'd be amazed at how affordable I am!);
• Write freelance content on aviation, travel, credit cards and personal travel.
• Partner with media organizations to help them guide the next generation of journalists by taking advantage of my extensive network of speakers, facilitators, subject matter experts and mentors;
• Train on topics including diversity and inclusion, effective internship programs, ways to help journalists stay relevant in their jobs (I'm currently obsessed with ethical ways media can use artificial intelligence); and
• Provide resume/cover letter reviews, interview preparation and career advice for journalists, from students to veterans.

I'm also an RTDNA-Google News Initiative tools trainer . If you're interested in bringing this no-cost training to your newsroom, your classroom or your journalism organization -- either online or in person -- please apply here and ask for me as your trainer.

That's my pitch. If you're still with me, here's what I need from you. Let's connect in person or online if you think I can help your organization or have job leads. If it's in person, the coffee is on me. We can discuss jobs, collaborations, partnerships, or anything else I missed. You might even give me ideas on what's next.

I'd greatly appreciate it if you could share this post with your networks. I'm attending IRE , NABJ and ONA this year. If you'll be at any of these conventions, connect with me here and find a way to meet up. If not, book me via Calendly for a chat.

Please know that this post isn't just an ask from me. You know I live by the adage, "What you put out in the universe is what you get back," so if there's anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask. Finally, many thanks to my journalism and aviation communities for your ongoing support. Love, Aunt Benét