Nikole Hannah-Jones, Howard University’s Knight Chair in Race and Journalism
Funded by Michelle Mercer and Bruce Golden, the $3.8 million program will each year offer five recent graduates and mid-career alumni of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) full-year, salaried, benefits-included fellowships in reporting, editing, audience engagement, or newsroom technology.
Fellows will also receive advisory support from Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones, Howard University's Knight Chair in Race and Journalism, and Howard University's Center for Journalism and Democracy.
"I have not typically supported newsroom fellowships because I have not felt that news organizations have demonstrated a real commitment to using these fellowships to make lasting change in the industry by ensuring fellows get the support, experience, guidance, and assistance necessary to turn fellowships into full-time reporting jobs," said Hannah-Jones. "But this fellowship is unlike any I have seen in the industry. That is why I am so excited to support this work, which aligns with the goals of the Center for Journalism and Democracy that I am building at Howard University."
The fellowship will include on-the-job training and mentorship to help fellows with their job placement afterwards. Fellows will receive a minimum salary of $70,000 and all other benefits of full-time employees, including health insurance, paid time off, and a 401(K) plan.
"I am a product of a fellowship program that gave me the training, the resources, and the confidence to tell stories about my community. Without that foundational opportunity, I would not be the journalist I am today," said Errin Haines, The 19th's editor-at-large. "What we aim to do with this exciting and essential new program is to help create the newsrooms we want to see in this industry: diverse, talented, and reflective of the world around them."
Applications are scheduled to open in mid-2022 with the first class of fellows joining in September 2022. The 19th will soon announce more information on how to apply.
