Manny Garcia Honored, $1 Million Pledged for FIU Journalism School

Three foundations pledged $1 million for journalism education at Florida International University during a Miami ceremony honoring two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Manny Garcia.

The Ansin Foundation, the Channel 7 Foundation and the Channel 18 Foundation announced the donation to support and expand journalism education at the event. The Ansin Foundation was established in 1957 by the late Ed Ansin, co-founder of Sunbeam Television and owner of WSVN and ABC Miami. Ed Ansin's sons Andrew and James established the Channel 7 Foundation and the Channel 18 Foundation.

Garcia joined the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at FIU last year as the first Knight Foundation Executive Director of the school. He said the money will help mentor students at the university. "This gift, it's a legacy gift because what it's doing is helping to support the next generations of journalists who are going to go out there and carry the torch forward. It's an amazing evening, an amazing opportunity," Garcia said.

Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture and the Arts, said the funds will go to scholarships,FIU's Washington bureau and faculty support. "First, let me thank the Ansin Foundation for being so generous and having confidence in our students and in our faculty, and that's where the money is going," Schriner said.

The Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, broadcasting, and digital and interactive media.