‘I want to give early-career reporters the best shot at launching their careers.’

Tom Huang has reported from Bosnia, Vietnam, Athens, the aftermath of 9/11 and Oklahoma City. Now, his expanded focus paves a path for the new generation, pairing dozens of mentors with mentees and leading 50 Poynter seminars — and counting.

When Huang entered journalism more than three decades ago, newsrooms looked and operated quite differently. In-person attendance was the default, not an option, and the most sophisticated pieces of equipment were landline phones and copy machines. But what these less-than-flexible spaces lacked in functionality, they made up for in learning opportunities where novices could observe veteran journalists at work firsthand.

To bridge the mentorship gap in modern, often virtual, newsrooms, Huang, assistant managing editor at The Dallas Morning News, leads Building Blocks: Critical Skills for New Reporters (previously known as Reporter’s Toolkit). The course equips early-career reporters with the skills they need to improve their craft and make a difference in their newsrooms. The registration deadline for this program that helps participants connect with a supportive journalism community is June 30.