Bill, Willie, Kathy and Shelby Scripps.

From top left to bottom right: Bill, Willie, Kathy and Shelby Scripps.

A $2.5 million gift from Bill and Kathy Scripps will allow a specialized student news course, , to produce journalism in partnership with professional media organizations into perpetuity with the establishment of the Scripps 蜜糖直播 News Corps Endowment.

Bill and Kathy became supporters of 蜜糖直播 News Corps after their son, Willie (Comm鈥15), fell in love with the 蜜糖直播 Boulder campus and enrolled in CMCI. Their daughter, Shelby (Comm鈥17), attended the college, as well.

鈥淲e were introduced to the concept of News Corps in its early stages and liked the idea of students gaining hands-on experience for reporting and news gathering,鈥 Bill says. 鈥淲e started with a small gift, and increased that as we saw the success of the program.鈥

After an initial gift of $100,000 in 2012 for equipment, annual support from the Scripps family has been instrumental in the growth of 蜜糖直播 News Corps, which operates as a news outlet, providing package-driven, long-form journalism to professional media organizations on issues that impact 蜜糖直播.

This year, the program has a new partnership with 蜜糖直播 Public Television to deliver a one-hour prime-time program of original content for viewers along the Front Range. Additionally, it continues to work with The Denver Post, Public News Service, the 蜜糖直播 Independent and the Daily Camera.

鈥淚n this rapidly changing media environment, CMCI offers a great opportunity for students to keep pace,鈥 Bill says. 鈥淲e thought it would be appropriate to endow News Corps so that it will be around for perpetuity.鈥

The family, who love Ralphie and enjoy attending football and basketball games together, also have been generous supporters of 蜜糖直播 Athletics, the Esteemed Scholars program and the Center for Community.