Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship
Launch your Career in Journalism
The year-long Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship is for early-career journalists who are aspiring future leaders in the industry.
As a finalist for the fellowship, you’ll have the opportunity to find placement as a paid, full-time journalist at a participating news outlet, joining colleagues who are passionate about journalism and the critical role of the free press in society. You’ll learn from each other, on the job, and from a robust, real-world curriculum presented by seasoned, professional journalists.
In-person and Virtual
Fellows gather weekly 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 at multi-day summits.
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 television stations to digital enterprises. Fellows contribute their many unique perspectives to an ongoing dialogue over the future of journalism.
Just the Facts
Advisor Program
The program places each fellow into an advisory group with several other fellows and an experienced professional advisor. These groups meet twice a month during class time to build community, allow for peer mentorship and professional development, and workshop innovation projects together.
Innovation Project
Fellows propose a positive change or improvement for their newsrooms. They might create a coverage plan for an underserved community or a series of articles on a topic not previously covered. The goal is to stretch beyond everyday assignments and innovate with the limits up to the fellows. As a competition, previous winners include a fellow who built a video graphic interface for her employer and another who launched a podcast for her TV news station aimed at millennial audiences.
Summits
Three times during the year, fellows come together to learn from each other and from faculty face to face. Guests at summits have included Poynter’s top lecturers, the StoryCorps team, ethics experts, documentarians and filmmakers, and leading journalists. The June 2019 opening summit keynote speaker was CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett at the National Press Club. Each summit focuses on journalism skills as well as discussion topics, such as small breakout sessions exploring case studies that represent thorny ethical issues. Fellows also have a chance to hone tactical skills including media and interview training. We also have some fun. Whether it’s attending a World Champion Washington Nationals baseball game, playing shuffleboard under the Florida sun, balancing super-size Jenga, or enjoying great Italian food, we make sure it’s not all work and no play.
Important Program Dates
Why Poynter-Koch?
The authors of the First Amendment understood that a free and robust press is a crucial component in the system of checks and balances built into American society.
Journalists and storytellers discover and then report what is fact — and what is not. They shine light on inaccuracies and injustice, adopting a role as the ultimate stone kickers and skeptics. They inspire and educate with stories that explain, provoke, and expose the world around us. In doing so, the press builds a foundation of trust and mutual understanding that is essential for progress in all its forms.
The Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship’s curriculum is designed to address not only the hard skills of reporting and storytelling techniques but also the pillars of First Amendment law, foundations of a free press, and the core values that underpin public service journalism.
While bringing differing perspectives from varying roles and newsrooms, Poynter-Koch fellows share common ground: a commitment to the ideals and values of journalism. The power of the program comes not from the curriculum but from the diversity of fellows’ perspectives.
Curriculum Snapshot
Partner Organizations (2021–2022)
The 74
The Advocate
Alabama News Network
American Heritage Magazine
Baltimore Witness
Bay Nature Institute
Bradenton Herald
The Bronx Times
The Cedar Rapids Gazette
Civil Beat
The Clarion-Ledger
Connecticut News Project
Dallas Morning News
D.C. Witness
The Detroit News
The Dispatch
El Nuevo Herald
The Fresno Bee
Florida Times-Union
Gay City News
KALB-TV
Kansas City Star
Lexington Herald-Leader
Metro Philadelphia
Miami Herald
The Modesto Bee
Montclair Local News
Myrtle Beach Sun News
Nashville Scene
The Nevada Independent
The News & Observer
NJ.com
Religion Unplugged
The Sacramento Bee
The Scope
Street Sense Media
The Telegraph
The Tribune
Washington City Paper
Washingtonian
WAFF 48 News
WBEZ Chicago
WBRC-TV Fox 6 News (Birmingham, AL)
WBTV-TV CBS (Charlotte, NC)
WLBT News
WOIO Cleveland 19
Partner Organizations (2020–2021)
Allsides
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
Belleville News–Democrat
Blavity
Bradenton Herald
Cadillac News
Center Square
Chalkbeat
Dallas Morning News
D.C. Witness
The Detroit News
The Dispatch
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Free Spirit Media
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Greenwood Commonwealth
GroundTruth Project
Hearst
Houston Chronicle
The Journal (Tioga Tribune)
Kansas City Star
King's County/Queen's County Politics
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Miami Herald
National Review
The Nevada Independent
New York Daily News
News and Observer
News Center Maine
Noozhawk
Religion Unplugged
The Scope
SeattlePI.com
St. Louis Public Radio
Tampa Bay Times
Texas Metro News
Washington Examiner
Washington City Paper
WBRC-TV Fox (Birmingham, AL)
WBTV-TV CBS (Charlotte, NC)
WCSC-TV CBS (Charleston)
WCSH-TV NBC (Maine)
Additional Resources
Application Process
Click to begin a new application or to finish a previously started application.
FAQs
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