Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’m a student, can I apply for the fellowship?
No. The fellowship is only open to those who are not currently enrolled in school. If you will have graduated and completed your program by June, you are eligible to apply. Current students cannot be fellows but we encourage you to consider applying after graduation.

I’m working on a story with a colleague/friend/collaborator, can we apply for a fellowship together?
No. We only have funding for ten fellows working on ten separate stories. Unfortunately we cannot split fellowships between multiple people.

I work in video and/or multi-media, can I apply?
At this time we are focusing on print and audio journalists. If you have multimedia skills, feel free to apply them but we are looking for strong audio and print pitches and our editors have audio and print expertise.

The application requires the submission of clips. What is a clip?
In the case of print submissions, clips should be published pieces of journalism reported and written by you. Since we are particularly looking to fund long form, in depth stories, you should include long form clips if you have them. In the case of audio, at least one clip should be a broadcast audio story reported by you, the others can be radio pieces or published print stories.

I applied last year and did not get the fellowship. Can I apply again?
Yes. We got so many good applications for so few spots we had to pass on many good stories.

Can international journalists apply?
Yes, but we cannot assist with visas or residency. Also, stories must have a strong U.S. angle.

How do you define early and mid career journalists?
We don’t have an ironclad definition but the fellowship is aimed to buoy up journalists toward the start of their careers. That usually means fellows have not published multiple books or published books with major publishers; it usually means younger journalists. On average, our fellows are approximately 2-7 years into a career as a journalist; they have published or placed stories in national publications or broadcast outlets; they show great promise and talent but are not yet well known to national editors. They are still hustling to get pieces placed and could benefit from the structure and support of the fellowship.

I have a full-time job. Can I still apply for the fellowship?
Yes. But you should include in your pitch a short explanation of how you intend to fit the fellowship in around your job. Most people will need to take time off from their jobs to work on the fellowship story. If it is not realistic for you to keep your full time job and report a long form story, please do not apply. If you intend to report the fellowship story for whatever outlet or publication you work for, please explain how that would work and whether or not you have been granted permission to do that.

I report in Spanish/Dutch/Arabic/French. Can I work on a story in a language other than English?
Unfortunately, we can only accept fellowship applications and published clips in English. If you are bilingual and can report in another language we encourage you to do that but as editors we only have the capacity to edit English language stories intended for English language publications.

I’m working on a book, can I submit my book proposal as a pitch?
No. We do not want to see book proposals. If you are writing a book and feel you have a chapter or section that works as a long form, narrative story, and you want to publish that story as an article, send us a pitch for that specific story.

Who should I ask to write a letter of recommendation?
Your references should be people who are familiar with your journalistic work, preferably editors or instructors you’ve worked with on stories.

I’m the type of person who likes to work alone. Can I get the grant money but not participate in the two workshop sessions?
No. As part of this fellowship you will be required to participate in two, 4-day , all day workshops at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. Part of the benefit of the fellowship is developing a cohort of other young journalists who will continue to be part of your professional network going forward. You will be expected to read and edit one another’s stories and pitches and engage in editing workshops with your fellow Fellows.

What if I cannot place my story with a publication or broadcast outlet before the second workshop session in December? Will I still be required to complete my story?
Yes. This fellowship exists to serve you and the piece you’re working on. You have an opportunity to write something substantial and get some really good editors to look at it, comment on, and help you reshape it. You should take that opportunity, whether or not you’ve placed your story yet. Workshops work best when everyone brings work to the table. This is your chance to get your reporting down while it is still fresh and to establish a relationship with national editors.