FAMU Press Release:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Representatives from the Miami-based Black PR Wire will visit the Florida A&M University (FAMU) School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) on Tuesday, December 1, 2009, to honor a group of FAMU students who have been actively involved in writing for the company’s HBCU Writers’ Project initiative. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the SJGC Gallery. The general public is invited to attend.

Matthew Beatty, a recent graduate of the FAMU SBI five-year program, now serves as associate director for Public Affairs with Black PR Wire. He will return to campus on Tuesday to promote the HBCU Writers’ Project and encourage faculty and students across the entire FAMU community to get involved. Beatty will also make presentations to the students in the Division of Journalism’s public relations sequence, who have played such a vital role in writing articles that were published as part of the project.

“For the past three semesters, students in the public relations sequence have been encouraged to submit examples their writing to the project,” said Gina Kinchlow, assistant professor, FAMU’s SJGC. “The PR students have enjoyed tremendous success with the HBCU Writer's Project and have surpassed other HBCUs involved with the project. One student in particular, Jeanine James, has had seven articles published, more than any other HBCU student in the project.”

Black PR Wire, an online news service, launched the new initiative called the HBCU Writers’ Project in August of last year. The project was specifically designed to encourage students at HBCUs to write news stories with national appeal, submit the stories to Black PR Wire for critical editorial review, and, if approved, gain visibility for their work through publication on the Black PR Wire Web site.