NPC Mentoring Program

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the National Press Club have a mentoring program?
Mentoring is a natural outgrowth of the National Press Club’s emphasis on fellowship and professional excellence. But today’s 24/7 news cycle doesn’t foster the kind of relationship-building that often took place informally in the past, particularly between one generation and the next and when a large number of Press Club members worked in the Press Building and had more occasions to interact. As a benefit to members, and to the club overall, we aim to give a helping hand to jump start some of these relationships.

 

Why now?
The National Press Club had a short-lived mentoring program several years ago, but it went dormant. Restarting it is a priority of NPC President John Hughes, in conjunction with the NPC Professional Development Committee, the Young Members Committee and the Membership Committee.

Why should I want a mentor?
Do you ever get that nagging feeling that you don’t know what you don’t know? Have you ever covered the Iowa caucuses or a party convention before? What’s the secret to staying on top of the daily news flow while developing page one think pieces that really matter to editors, not to mention readers? Covering Washington is more complex and difficult than ever, but you don’t necessarily have to figure out how to do it all by yourself. A mentor can critique a story, hone a lede, suggest a story idea or provide historical context that informs today’s news. Or they can tell you how they handled a difficult colleague or boss.

 

Why should I want to be a mentor?
Mentoring is not a one-way street. Those born during the Reagan administration or later have much to teach those born during previous administrations. It’s not just how to use Twitter, although there’s a lot to be said for that. If you stop being curious you stop being a journalist, and some regular exposure to a newly minted reporter can be a sure cure for that.

 

Do you have to be a certain age or have X years of experience to be a mentor or to get a mentor?
Not specifically.

 

What do I need to do to get a mentor or be a mentor through the National Press Club?
First of all, fill out the form.
Second, email your resume to [email protected] (optional but strongly encouraged).
Finally, be patient. A group of NPC volunteers will strive to match mentors with those who are seeking a mentor, based on our best judgment about the information you and others submit. In some cases, we will try to recruit mentors if we see a good fit.

 

What’s the timeframe for doing this?
We announced the program in mid-September. The cutoff date for applications is October 15. Around November 1, we plan to have a reception at the club to introduce mentors and those they will be mentoring.

 

Is this only for journalists, or can communicators get a mentor or be a mentor?
This program is open to all members and we don’t plan to segregate journalists and communicators. If you’re a young journalist, you could have much to learn from a former journalist who went into public relations. But if it matters to you, indicate on the form whether you prefer a journalist or a communicator as a mentor.

Over what period of time will mentoring take place?
The short answer is, it depends. Once we make the connection, what happens next is entirely up to the two individuals involved. As a general rule, we’d expect mentors to meet with those they are mentoring at least once a month for a year. But it doesn’t have to stop then or last that long.

 

If I apply, am I guaranteed to get a mentor?
We will do our best, but there’s no guarantee we will have enough mentors for everybody, or that we can match mentors to the right person. It’s a voluntary, experimental program, which will depend on whether members young and old embrace it or not.

How do you match people with mentors?
A little bit of luck and a lot of elbow grease. The more you tell us about yourself, the better we can use that information to find a match. This is still an experimental program, so we are learning how from experience.

NPC Mentoring Program

The National Press Club mentoring program is accepting applications for both mentees and mentors. Open to both journalists and communicators, the program is intended to create the kind of inter-generational connections that were always a benefit of belonging to the club, but are increasing difficult to establish in the 24/7 news cycle of today. If you’re on the threshold of your career, or if you’re a seasoned Washington hand who’d welcome a chance to give back to the profession, learn more and sign up using the form below by October 15. A task force of members from the Professional Development, Young Members and Membership committees will attempt to make matches by November 1. This is a free benefit of NPC membership, so only members may apply.

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