Posted On: January 23, 2023

Fellowship

Media Organization: Type Investigations & Type Media Center

Company Description

About Type Investigations: Type Investigations is a home for ambitious independent investigative journalism. We tell deeply reported stories in partnership with print, broadcast, and digital media outlets — allowing us to bring our work to a wide range of audiences. Our team provides journalists with expert editorial guidance; rigorous fact-checking; research assistance; and funds to cover their travel, time, and other reporting costs. We are committed to reporting from the ground up, elevating stories from the communities most affected by wrongdoing. Our work enables groundbreaking journalism that would otherwise be impossible.Type Investigations projects have won some of journalism’s top awards, including the Emmy, the Polk, the National Magazine Award, the Scripps Howard Award, the IRE Medal, and the Hillman Prize.

About Type Media Center: A nonprofit media center, Type Media Center is dedicated to strengthening the independent press and advancing social justice and civil rights. Its programs include Type Investigations; a bestselling book publishing imprint, Bold Type Books; the syndicated website TomDispatch; and Type Fellowships that support more than a dozen reporters every year.

Job Description

Ida B. Wells Fellowship
Ends on March 12, 2023

Named after the pioneering Black investigative reporter, the Ida B. Wells Fellowship is designed to promote diversity in journalism by helping to create a pipeline of investigative reporters who come from underserved backgrounds, and bring those experiences, perspectives, and interests to their work. Winners are chosen by an annual competition.
For the 2023-24 cycle, Type Investigations will provide three fellows with a $25,000 stipend ($20,000 in payments distributed on a monthly basis throughout the year, plus $5,000 in bonus payments disbursed upon completion of the fellowship project), and access to Type Investigations editors who will advise them throughout the process of producing their first substantial work of investigative reporting. The one-year fellowship also provides a $2,500 stipend for travel and other reporting expenses, and covers the costs associated with attending the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference and an online data reporting boot camp. Each fellow will also enjoy access to research resources, legal counsel, fact-checking, and assistance with story placement and publicity. The fellowship is a one-time educational opportunity and is non-renewable.
One of the fellowship slots is reserved for a 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. If you meet these criteria and would like to be considered for the Southern Fellowship, please check the corresponding box within the application form.
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 reporters with some professional experience -- at least three years is optimal, although we are open to strong candidates who are newer to the field. No amount of experience is too much! All we ask for is a strong interest in embarking upon your first substantial piece of investigative journalism through this fellowship.
The deadline for the 2023 application is Sunday, March 12 at 11:59pm EST. Please note that Daylight Saving Time begins on March 12 and submit your application at least an hour prior to the deadline in case you experience technical issues. Late applications will not be accepted. If you choose to apply, you will be alerted at the beginning of April if your application has advanced to the semi-finalist round of the process, and you will be asked to submit two letters of recommendation at that time. Finalists will be interviewed in late April/early May, and fellows will be chosen by mid-May. The fellowship runs from June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.

• 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, audio, 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 strongly encouraged 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.

To Apply

TIPS: Before applying, we encourage you to check out investigations Ida B. Wells Fellows have produced in the past and that you do a thorough search for previous reporting related to your story idea. Please be clear about how your project has the potential to uncover or expose something new and have real-world impact. If you have more questions, please refer to our FAQ.

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