Digital Ambassador & Fellowship Programs
Potter Digital Ambassadors
The Walt Potter Digital Ambassador Program connects college students with strong digital media skills to Iowa community newspapers for a short, intensive residency that makes a real difference for both the student and the newsroom.
Launched in Iowa through a partnership between the Iowa Newspaper Association, Iowa State University, and Drake University, the program places students directly into local newsrooms for approximately one week during winter break. During that time, ambassadors work side by side with newsroom staff on projects that have an immediate and lasting impact, from developing social media strategies and improving website analytics to launching newsletters, training staff on digital tools, and creating guides that newsrooms can continue using long after the residency ends.
For students, it is an opportunity to apply digital journalism skills in a real newsroom environment, build relationships with editors and publishers, and gain hands-on experience in community journalism. Participants receive a stipend and have lodging expenses covered.
For newsrooms, it is a week of focused expertise that strengthens digital presence, builds staff capacity, and leaves lasting tools and strategies behind.
The Walt Potter Digital Ambassador Program is part of a national initiative created by Walter B. Potter Jr. in partnership with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, now active in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, and Vermont.
If you are a student with a passion for digital journalism, social media, audience engagement, or content strategy, this is your chance to make a measurable impact on local news while launching your career. Applications open annually.
Mores Media Fellowship
The Mores Media Fellowship is the Iowa Newspaper Foundation’s premier leadership development program for working professionals in Iowa’s newspaper and local news industry. It is designed not just to sharpen individual skills, but to build the next generation of leaders who will guide Iowa’s news organizations through the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Established in 2009 through a generous gift from Steve and Alan Mores of Harlan Newspapers, honoring their father Leo Mores, a longtime publisher of the Harlan News-Advertiser and Harlan Tribune, the fellowship has graduated dozens of Iowa newspaper professionals over the years, creating a lasting statewide network of media leaders.
The program is designed for emerging and current leaders with at least three years of experience in the newspaper or news media industry, including editors, reporters, publishers, advertising managers, digital managers, and other newsroom and business professionals ready to take the next step. Over two intensive days in the Des Moines area, fellows engage in small-group workshops, leadership assessments, and conversations with experienced industry professionals covering topics that matter most to the future of local news, from leadership styles and team management to revenue diversification, financial operations, strategic planning, and navigating the evolving media landscape.
Participants pay a modest registration fee, and travel stipends are available to help offset expenses for accepted fellows. If you are ready to grow as a leader and invest in the future of your organization and your community, the Mores Media Fellowship is where that journey begins.