Ida B. Wells Fellowship

Posted On: January 14, 2021

Fellowship

Media Organization:Type Investigations

Company Description

Founded in 1966 (as The Nation Institute), Type Media Center is home to a half-dozen programs and a community of hundreds of journalists, authors, and writing fellows. Our dynamic range of programs includes a bestselling book publishing imprint, Bold Type Books (formerly known as Nation Books); our award-winning Type Investigations (formerly known as the Investigative Fund), which supports groundbreaking investigative journalism; TomDispatch, the widely read and syndicated website; Fellowships that fund over 25 high-profile reporters every year; Prize programs that spotlight invaluable achievements; and high-profile Events that provide a platform for key journalists, thinkers, and activists to discuss the urgent and important issues of our time.

Job Description

Named after the pioneering African-American investigative reporter, the Ida B. Wells Fellowship is designed to promote diversity in journalism by helping to create a pipeline of investigative reporters who bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests to their work. Winners are chosen by an annual competition.

For the 2021-22 cycle, Type Investigations will provide five Fellows with a $15,000 monthly stipend, plus $5,000 in bonus payments, and access to a Type Investigations editor who will advise them throughout the process of producing their first substantial work of investigative reporting. The one-year fellowship also covers travel and other reporting costs associated with the project and the costs associated with attending the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference, as well as data training through the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting. Each fellow will also enjoy access to research resources, legal counsel, professional mentoring, fact-checking, and assistance with story placement and publicity. The fellowship is a one-time educational opportunity and is non-renewable.

In 2021 we will select one Southern Ida B. Wells Fellow, who is based in, and will report from North or South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas or Mississippi. The Southern fellow's work must appear in an outlet serving this region.

Journalists of color are strongly encouraged to apply, as are other reporters who believe their presence would contribute substantially to diversifying the field of investigative reporting. The fellowship is open to entry-level or mid-career journalists.

We are looking for reporters:

-who have an ambitious investigation they want to pursue, a passion for holding the powerful accountable, and an appetite for digging.
-with the demonstrated ability to produce a narrative feature for print or broadcast.
-who would relish the opportunity to closely collaborate with editors.
-with the persistence, attentiveness to detail, and organizational skills to complete a major project within a set timeframe.

Fellows are required to publish or air their projects within one year of the start of the fellowship. Each project produced during the fellowship must appear in a U.S. media outlet. Both freelance and staff reporters may apply, but staffers must submit a letter from their editor agreeing to allow them at least one day per week to work on their fellowship story, and committing to co-publishing their investigation.

The deadline for the 2021 application is Sunday, March 14 at 11:59pm EST. Please submit your application at least an hour prior to the deadline in case you experience technical issues. Late applications will not be accepted. You will be alerted the week of March 29 if your application has been moved along to round two. If your application is selected for round two, you will be asked to provide two letters of recommendation at that time. Fellows will be chosen in mid-May.

To Apply

https://typemediacenter.submittable.com/submit/71612/ida-b-wells-fellowship