Journalism Camp: Covering race, ethnicity, and culture

Hugo Balta

UPDATE: APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN – interested candidates send questions, resume + cover letter to hortenciazavalafoundation@gmail.com

DEADLINE is August 20.


The Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF)expands its mission of supporting journalism students with invaluable scholarships by introducing its first ever mentoring program!

Journalism Camp: Covering Race, Ethnicity, and Culture is a first-in-class 12 week program providing practical guidelines for fair and accurate storytelling.

The FREE virtual workshop will be led this Fall by award winning, news media veteran, and twice president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)Hugo Balta. Balta is also the owner and publisher of the Latino News Network.

Mr. Balta is a popular author and guest speaker, traveling across the country and abroad giving lectures, joining panels and leading training sessions on career management, team building, media, innovation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Balta signing his bestselling book, Leadership Habits at a lecture at Springfield Technical Community College

“The Journalism Camp is designed to go beyond the inverted pyramid of basic news writing in examining the terminology, usage, and word choice of stories providing greater visibility and understanding of deep-rooted inequities in all aspects of society”, said Balta.

Students will get hands-on experience in producing stories from concept to execution focused on social justice, determinants of health, and community empowerment.

Here’s a snapshot of the program:

  • 3 month course
  • 3, 90-minute classes
  • 3 one-on-one mentoring
  • 3 industry special guests
  • 3 hands-on assignments

The Journalism Camp is open to all students (undergrad, graduate) in good standing.

Application process runs from August 1 to 20.

For more information about HZF’s Journalism Camp curriculum, how to apply, and to ask questions – please email us at hortenciazavalafoundation@gmail.com


The Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF) was founded in 2016 in honor of Hugo Balta’s maternal grandmother.

HZF is a not-for-profit organization that helps students offset the costs of a higher education with scholarships.