Hearst Corporation and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Announce the Establishment of The Hearst Fellowship in Business Journalism Program


NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 22, 2007 -- With the company's more than a century-old commitment to quality journalism in mind, Hearst Corporation and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism today announced the establishment of the Hearst Fellowship Fund in Business Journalism at the university. The program will provide financial assistance to graduate students in the business and economics concentration of the school's Master of Arts program. The goal is to attract the best qualified student for the program by removing the financial burden which might otherwise prevent him or her from attending the school.

Commenting on the announcement, Victor F. Ganzi, president and CEO of Hearst Corporation, said: "Over the past 119 years, Hearst Corporation has grown from a single newspaper in San Francisco to one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies. Any company that desires to provide news, information and perspective to the public must also embrace a mission: a commitment to journalistic excellence and the passionate pursuit of the truth. The Hearst Fellowship Fund at Columbia helps us stay true to this goal."

The highly competitive M.A. program, introduced in 2005, attracts outstanding students and journalists who possess strong journalistic skills and aim to become experts able to report clearly on complicated subjects. The program, which features concentrations in business, the arts, science and politics, honors the principle that journalists should develop real expertise in the subjects they cover.

"Everyone at the Journalism School is thrilled by this generous gift from Hearst Corporation," said Nicholas Lemann, dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. "It represents a vote of confidence from one of the most respected news organizations, and, specifically, it will help us tremendously in educating the next generation of leaders in business journalism."

A cornerstone of the business and economics concentration is a seminar taught by professors Sylvia Nasar and James Stewart. The program is constructed in conjunction with faculty from the Columbia Business School and the economics department of the faculty of Arts and Sciences. One of its organizing principles is to use a news event as a way of understanding larger economic themes.

The Hearst Fellowship Fund represents the latest step in Hearst Corporation's long relationship with the university, which also hosts the Hearst New Media Professor-in-Residence and the Hearst Dialogues programs.

The first Hearst Fellowships in Business Journalism are expected to be awarded in 2008. Three fellowships will be awarded each year and recipients will receive substantial financial aid.

Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com) is one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies. Its major interests include 12 daily and 30 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, and Albany Times Union; nearly 200 magazines around the world, including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations through Hearst-Argyle Television (NYSE: HTV) which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers; joint venture interests in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, The History Channel and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a joint venture interest in Fitch Group; Internet businesses; television production; newspaper features distribution; and real estate.

For almost a century, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism has been preparing journalists in a program that stresses academic rigor, ethics, journalistic inquiry and professional practice. Founded in 1912, the school offers Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Founded in 1754 as King's College, Columbia University in the City of New York is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and today is one of the world's leading academic and research institutions. For more information about Columbia University, visit www.columbia.edu.

Contact Information: Contacts: Paul Luthringer Hearst Corporation 212-649-2540 Email Contact Melanie A. Farmer Columbia University 212-854-9082 Email Contact