As a Poynter-Koch fellow, you’ll receive nearly a year of career development, delivered by seasoned journalism veterans and industry experts who care deeply for early career journalists. You will have the opportunity to find placement as a paid, fulltime journalist at a participating news outlet, joining colleagues who are passionate about journalism and the free press. You can also apply if you’re already working within a newsroom that supports your acceptance into this program. Our team of journalism experts will personally guide you over almost a year of career development and learning — from each other, from your newsrooms and from our robust, real-world curriculum.
Read our FAQ here for more.
Per Poynter’s Ethics Policy, Poynter maintains editorial independence regarding curriculum and content. The media and journalism fellowship relationship between Poynter and Stand Together Fellowships, from the Charles Koch Institute, is a teaching partnership. A list of Poynter’s largest funders and teaching partners can be found here.
In-person and virtual workshops
Fellows gather virtually every week to engage in robust coursework, such as media training and workshops, and discussions about today’s most pressing journalistic issues. Three times during the year you’ll join the other fellows and faculty for additional workshops and activities in-person at multi-day summits in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Our participants — up to 60 per fellowship class — come from all over the United States. The news organizations they work for range from metropolitan dailies to local market TV stations to digital enterprises. Fellows contribute their unique perspectives to an ongoing dialogue over the future of journalism.
See the participating organizations here.
Questions?
If you need assistance, email us at info@poynter.org or admissions@standtogether.org.
Who should apply
You should apply if you are passionate about journalism and telling inspiring stories, but you know there is more to learn and you want to sharpen your skills. You’re a hard-worker and self-motivated. You understand the importance of free expression and the role of the press in society. You describe yourself as a life-long learner. You work well independently but also enjoy collaborating with others. You know there are media outlets that can benefit from your knowledge and skills.
Application process
Your next opportunity to participate in the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship begins in the summer of 2023, so apply now! The deadline is March 10, 2023.
The Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship believes that diversity in experiences, perspectives, knowledge and ideas fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success. Our admissions office treats all program participants and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity. We welcome all qualified applicants regardless of color, race, religion, religious creed, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, ancestry, age, physical ability, mental ability, medical condition, pregnancy (including medical needs which may arise from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), military and veteran status, genetic information, marital or familial status, political affiliation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.
Cost
There is no application fee and there is no tuition. All travel and workshops are paid for by the program.
Accepted fellows will be compensated for their full-time work at participating news organizations from June 2023 to June 2024. Your salary is negotiated by you with the employer/participating organization and is generally commensurate to experience. The fellowship program provides a salary stipend to the employer of 60% of salary up to a maximum award of $50,000 per fellow.
