Launchpad Fellowship for NextGen Journalists (United States)

Fellows will tackle an ambitious in-depth reporting/storytelling project on a critical social justice issue facing the U.S. They will be challenged to delve deeply into their selected issue; to critically examine its real and human impact on the nation’s historically marginalized communities; to expose the systemic and root causes of the problem; and to explore remedies and solutions.

They believe this “next generation” of journalists, particularly those from communities whose voices and stories have been historically misrepresented, underreported or ignored by the mainstream media, have a critical role to play in transforming journalism and the media ecosystem. Their diverse perspectives—and their willingness to challenge the status quo and to experiment with bold new approaches to news and community storytelling—are essential to reinventing media as a vital and trusted source of education, civic engagement, social justice and democracy.

About Fellowship

• During the nine-month fellowship period, fellows will:
  • Attend an all-expenses-paid, three-day, in-person training, to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Attend mandatory monthly cohort meet-ups via Zoom. These meetings will be facilitated by the mentors and/or Renaissance Journalism staff. At these meetings fellows will have the opportunity to network, to report on their progress, and to troubleshoot problems.
  • Attend webinars designed to help fellows hone their career development and journalism skills.
  • Meet one-to-one (via phone, Zoom, email) with their mentors.
  • Be expected to complete their proposed reporting projects at the conclusion of the nine-month fellowship term.

Funding Information

• LaunchPad Fellows Receive:
  • A $5,000 grant to offset living expenses while conducting their research and reporting.
  • An intensive, three-day in-person learning/training experience.
  • Skills-building webinars throughout the fellowship year.
  • Nine months of professional/project mentorship and coaching.

What they are looking for?

• They are looking for reporting projects that delve deeply and thoughtfully into a clearly articulated social justice issue or problem facing the nation. When conceiving your project, they encourage you to ask yourself: Is this an important, underreported story or issue that I feel compelled to investigate? What makes me uniquely suited to do this story? Is this a national problem with local angle? Is this an ambitious project, requiring six to nine months of work?  Will I have the time and ability to tackle and complete this project?
• Specifically, they will be looking for reporting projects that:
  • Tell a new and untold story in an engaging way.
  • Investigate and unpack a complex social justice issue, looking at the policies, root causes, systemic drivers and historical factors that contribute to and intersect with an issue.
  • Center and amplify the voices, stories and experiences of local communities that have been overlooked or misrepresented in the media.
  • Engage with new and diverse sources, revealing unique perspectives and life experiences.
  • Demonstrate a depth of knowledge and understanding of the topic and the community.
  • Explore sustainable and community-centered remedies and solutions to the problem.
  • Are ambitious in scope but that can be completed within the grant period.
  • Have a commitment from a news outlet to publish the project.

Who is eligible?

• They’re looking for talented early-career journalists from diverse backgrounds who have a demonstrated commitment to journalism and community storytelling through the lens of racial equity and social justice.  Those employed by a news organization, as well as freelance/independent journalists, are encouraged to apply.
• Specifically, the ideal applicant will:
  • Have at least three and no more than six years of professional journalism experience, either sequentially or cumulatively, in any medium (e.g., digital, print, video, audio, photo, multimedia).
  • Demonstrate an interest in and commitment to covering social justice and equity issues and to reporting in underserved local communities.
  • Have a publication plan. (You are required to provide a letter of support from your employer or, if a freelancer, a “letter of interest to publish” from a news outlet, before being accepted into the program.)
  • Be committed to and practice ethical and principled journalism, which is accurate, fair and thorough.
  • Demonstrate a serious intention to pursue a career in journalism.
  • Apply as an individual—not as a team or on behalf of a news organization.
  • Reside in the United States.
• They strongly encourage early-career journalists from those communities to apply, including journalists of color, indigenous journalists, those from working-class backgrounds and LGBTQ+ journalists. They will also take into consideration the financial barriers and/or limited access to career opportunities that an applicant faces.

For more information, visit Renaissance Journalism.