California Local News Fellowship - Fellows

Like the fellows, newsrooms also go through a competitive application process to be selected for the program. We partner with California-based newsrooms that produce original, local reporting in the public interest, including for-profit, nonprofit, public media, and community and ethnic media outlets.

We are most interested in newsrooms that understand and are seeking to meet their communities’ information needs and can articulate how hosting a fellow would contribute to that goal. Finally, newsrooms need to demonstrate that they are committed to professional journalistic ethics and support diversity and inclusion in their organizations.

Yes.  If you attended a two-year, four-year or graduate level journalism program and have newsroom experience (through student publications, summer internships, freelancing or full-time employment), you may apply. You are also eligible to apply if you did not attend college or journalism school but have a high school diploma or GED and at least three years of newsroom experience.

Yes. We can’t guarantee how many fellowship opportunities in each area will be available each year, but we are working with newsrooms around the state to offer a variety of roles. The fellowship is open to digital, print, audio, photo, and multimedia journalists.

If you are currently enrolled in a college or university through an F-1 or J-1 visa, you may be eligible to work in the U.S. for one to three years – and to participate in this fellowship program – after you graduate. UC Berkeley graduates should coordinate eligibility and participation with the Berkeley International Office. Applicants enrolled elsewhere should reach out to their school’s international student office. We won’t accept applications from international journalists who do not already work authorization in the U.S.

You may apply while you have another job, but the fellowship is full-time. You must be able to make that commitment by the beginning of the fellowship program.

Yes. We can’t guarantee how many fellowship opportunities will be available each year in any given language, but we are promoting the program to in-language newsrooms around the state.

Then this program is likely not the right match for you. We make a commitment to newsrooms and expect both newsrooms and fellows to commit to the full term.

If there is a newsroom you are interested in working with, please encourage them to apply for the fellowship program and apply as a preferred match. There will be space in the newsroom and fellowship applications to indicate that you’d like to work together. If both the fellow and the newsroom are accepted into the program, we will do our best to place you together.

For reporting fellows, you may not apply to work in a newsroom where you are currently employed; you may apply if you’ve done freelance reporting for them. For editing fellows, you may apply if you are a current reporter or producer in a fellowship newsroom.

Most fellows move to participate in the program, although we understand not everyone is in a position to do so. You will be able to indicate in your application whether or not you are able to move. If you are not, and you are accepted, we will do our best to match you with an outlet in your community, if one has applied and been accepted. You also are welcome to encourage an outlet in your community to apply and indicate a mutual preference.

A two-year gap between fellowships is required to ensure equity of state-funding opportunities and training.

Timeline for the 2026 cohort:

• February 3: Application opens
• March 5 : Application closes
• April: Finalists announced
• April: Fellow/newsroom interviews 
• May: Matching offers begin
• Early September: Fellowship begins

Note: Unlike the two-year reporting fellowship, the editing fellowship is one year, running from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027.

Most of the newsrooms we partner provide daily coverage for their communities, so fellows often work on quick-turn stories, producing roughly three to five stories a week. A smaller number of outlets focus on more in-depth reporting, where fellows may produce fewer but more complex stories. About half of the fellows work on general assignment and breaking news, while the other half are assigned to a specific beat. Fellows typically focus on one storytelling medium, such as writing or audio, though some produce video and/or photography for their newsrooms.

The fellowship is a full-time job. You may apply as a student but need to have completed your studies by the beginning of the fellowship program.

Anyone with under five years of journalism experience, either sequentially or cumulatively.

Reporter fellows are employees of the University of California and receive a starting salary, based on experience, of $60,000 or $65,000 with full benefits. Fellows are classified as academic personnel and are represented by the UAW Local 5810.

Editing fellows should have worked as a reporter or producer for at least five years. They should not have had more than six months of editing experience and should not be current editors.

Editing experience is not required. The program will support five editing fellows in the 2026 pilot cohort.

Editing fellows will guide reporters’ work, set editorial direction, and shape coverage for their newsroom. Editing may include daily news and features, depending on the newsroom.

Salaries for editing fellows will start at $80,000. All fellows will receive benefits from the University of California. Fellows are classified as academic personnel and are represented by the UAW Local 5810.

Editing fellows will receive intensive training and mentoring before and during their newsroom placement. Training focuses on the craft of editing as well as newsroom leadership and people management, in partnership with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

Yes. As with reporting fellows, editing fellows will be placed in newsrooms across California, including for-profit, nonprofit, public media, community, and ethnic media outlets.