The Tarbell Fellowship seeks to change that. We’re creating a community of journalists focused on covering what’s truly important. The Tarbell Fellowship is a year-long programme for early-career journalists interested in improving the world. Fellows receive a stipend of up to $50,000, mentorship from experienced journalists and training to write about the world’s most important problems. The Tarbell Fellowship is named in honour of Ida Tarbell. Tarbell was a pioneering investigative journalist, best known for writing The History of the Standard Oil Company. It is a science journalism. This seminal piece detailed the rise of Standard Oil and exposed its use of unfair and illegal practices, hastening the dissolution of Standard Oil as a monopoly. Tarbell’s work is a striking example of the power of dedicated journalists to effect real change.
The fellowship is designed to be remote-first. All fellows are expected to attend the Oxford Summit in person from March 1st-14th 2023. We’re excited to support early-career journalists from around the globe. However, we strongly encourage fellows to move to international journalism hubs for the duration of this fellowship. We expect this to accelerate fellows’ careers and will give preferential treatment to those willing to do this. We may be able to provide office space in hubs such as London and New York. The fellowship is a project of Training for Good, an impact focused career organisation. Training for Good runs fellowships that enable talented young professionals to enter careers in policy and journalism tackling the most pressing global problems. The fellowship is supported by a grant from Effective Altruism Funds. If you would like to support our work, you can make a gift here. The fellowship is designed to support those early in their journalism career, i.e. with 0-5 years relevant experience. We welcome applications from mid-career professionals hoping to transition to a career in journalism. You may still apply if you have 5+ years of journalism experience, however you are somewhat less likely to be accepted.
Benefits
- Stipend. Fellows receive stipends of up to $50,000, depending on circumstances, to accelerate their journalism careers. We expect stipends to vary between $35,000 – $50,000 depending on location and personal circumstances.
- Mentorship. Each fellow will be matched with an experienced journalist. Mentors will provide critical feedback and challenge the fellow to set goals and deliver on them. They’ll conduct fortnightly mentorship calls and connect mentees with their network.
- Training. Fellows will participate in remote sessions each week as a cohort. This will include training in best practices, talks from experts in the field and challenging assignments designed to build skills.
- Oxford Summit. Fellows attend a two week summit in Oxford at the beginning of the fellowship (March 1st – March 14th 2023). This will be an intensive fortnight of guest speakers, workshops and networking events in Oxford / London. Travel and accommodation costs will be fully covered.
Eligibilities
- Ambitious for impact. A commitment to improving the world. Many fellows will have a demonstrated passion for and familiarity with one or more of our areas of interest.
- Passionate about journalism. Previous newsroom experience (including at student newspapers) or comparable experience in a field such as law or research is desirable but not necessary. We seek to support early-career journalists and will prioritise potential over experience.
- Excellent writing skills. A creative approach to storytelling combined with the ability to quickly get to the heart of a new topic. Fellows must be able to produce compelling copy under tight deadlines.
- Relentless. The ability to doggedly pursue your goals and persevere in the face of adversity. Fellows must be willing to work hard, and be capable of withstanding repeated rejection.
- Open-minded. The desire to understand the truth of any given story, even when it conflicts with prior beliefs. Fellows must be open to criticism and recognising ways they can improve their writing and thinking.
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Application & Writing Samples
(<60 minutes).Complete application form. Include your CV, answer some short questions and provide 1-3 writing samples. - Test Task 1
(2-3 hours).Submit a short project detailing the types of topics you’d like to cover and how you expect the Tarbell Fellowship to advance your career. To be completed in 2-3 hours and returned within a few days. - Recorded Interview
(~30 minutes).Answer general and situational questions relevant to journalism in a recorded interview. - Test Task 2
(2-3 hours).Write a short article in response to a specific prompt. - Live Interview
(<60 minutes).A deeper interview with a member of the Tarbell Fellowship team.
