Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism

Fellows are deeply committed to exploring some of society’s biggest mental health challenges.

Goals

• Increase effective and accurate reporting on behavioral health issues
• Equip journalists with the tools needed to produce high-quality work that reflects an understanding of behavioral health
• Develop a diverse cohort of better-informed journalists who can more effectively report on behavioral health across evolving and emerging platforms

Funding Information

• Nine U.S. journalists are selected and awarded stipends of $10,000 each to cover fellowship project expenses. Fellowships may also be awarded to a team of journalists; in that instance, the total stipend will be divided evenly among the team members.

Fellowship Details

• This is a nonresidential fellowship, which gives fellows a great deal of flexibility to work on their projects during the year.
• Fellows make two expense-paid visits to The Carter Center in Atlanta, both in September at the beginning and end of the fellowship year.
• During the first visit, fellows receive intensive training in mental health reporting, and meet with Journalism Fellowship Advisory Board members, Mental Health Task Force members, and other fellows to discuss their project plans.
• During the second visit, fellows present their completed projects and discuss challenges and successes in mental health reporting.

Fellows’ Projects

• Fellows are encouraged to select topics that are unique and creative. Projects may educate the public, raise awareness, explore solutions, and inform other journalists. The Carter Center provides resources through its network of over 250 fellows and scientific, health care, education, consumer, family, provider, and government agencies.
• Fellowships are tailored to suit the needs, interests, and experiences of each fellow. They also help educate the public on mental health and generate information that could benefit the field of mental health and inform policy. The program encourages fellows to conduct a training session related to mental health and journalism for their peers during the fellowship year to help spread the knowledge they have gained.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have at least three years of experience as a journalist or working directly in journalism.
• Previous fellows include audio journalists, documentary journalists, photojournalists, producers, reporters, and related roles. Blogging, academic writing, and public relations do not count toward journalism experience. Experience in mental health is not required.
• Applicants must submit a full fellowship application and be available to attend in-person meetings at The Carter Center in September at the beginning and end of the fellowship year.
• Applicants must be citizens or residents of the United States. Citizens or legal residents of Ireland, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are eligible to apply, but the application process is different.

For more information, visit The Carter Center.