The ASBPE Educational Foundation established the Business Journalism Scholarship at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications in 2018. This year, the Foundation is honored to award the 2024 scholarship to Janani Janarthanan, an incoming graduate student. 

Janarthanan will specialize in investigative journalism. After earning a triple-major degree in communication, literature and psychology, she worked for BW Businessworld magazine as the lead reporter for BW CFOWorld. 

Since 2021, she’s been a senior policy correspondent at NDTV Profit (Erstwhile Bloomberg Quint) in New Delhi, India. As a reporter, she has covered topics like the G20, India-USTR, FTAs, WTO disputes and breaking news stories on the Indian economy, particularly domestic policy, taxation and bilateral relations.

“We’re delighted that the ASBPE Educational Foundation continues to support promising business-oriented students at Medill,” said Abe Peck, the school’s director of business-to-business (B2B) communication. “We’ll continue to integrate talented awardees into the school’s B2B, digital and business specializations.” 

Graduate students can select from several concentrations in the one-year hands-on master’s program including business journalism; health, environment and science; media management and leadership; investigative; politics, policy and foreign affairs; magazine; sports media; and video and broadcast.

Those students who specialize in investigative journalism have the opportunity to work side-by-side with veteran journalists with the option to spend time in Washington, D.C. Graduate students in other specializations can explore and learn in not only Chicago, but also different cities with Northwestern’s coast-to-coast campuses.

Amy Fischbach, past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE, says she’s proud to support graduate journalism students through the scholarship program.

“Through the Business Journalism Scholarship, the Foundation is continuing its mission of moving the B2B media industry forward by supporting journalism education,” says Fischbach, field editor for T&D World magazine and freelance writer, editor and podcaster. “The scholarship gives recipients the opportunity to pursue their passions, discover specializations, strengthen their skills, and make their mark on this world.”

Since the ASBPE Educational Foundation Business Journalism Scholarship was first established in 2018 by Fischbach, Peck and past ASBPE Foundation president Roy Harris, the Foundation has awarded seven scholarships. Post-graduation, the scholarship recipients currently occupy a variety of entrepreneurial, technology, digital and B2B positions:

• Tyler Sonnemaker (2019) – entrepreneur, technology journalist and founder of Kaheāwai Media, Hawai’i
• Andrew Weiler (2020) – manager, sponsorship product and client services, Cityside
• Bryce Jones (2021) – associate editor for Better Homes & Gardens, Dotdash Media 
• Gabriela Rodriguez (2021) – digital video producer, NBC Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago
• Emily Dreibelbis (2022) – senior reporter, PCMag
• Morgan Manella Greenfield (2023) – winner of the 2024 Harrington Award for Media Innovation and Content Strategy at Medill and platform editor, Wall Street Journal
• Janani Janarthanan (2024) – graduate student at Medill

Learn more about the ASBPE Educational Foundation’s mission and programs, and make a tax-deductible donation (individual or corporate) today.