In order to promote and strengthen press freedom throughout the world, The World Press Institute (WPI) is offering fellowship to experienced journalists to improve their understanding of American journalism.
The fellowship provides immersion into the governance, politics, business, media, journalistic ethics and culture of the United States for experienced international journalists, through a demanding schedule of study, travel and interviews throughout the country.
The programme aims to expose fellows to U.S. journalistic practices and standards through a series of seminars, briefings and visits to large and small newsrooms. Fellows will be assigned to research and conduct interviews with representatives of government bodies at all levels, multinational corporations, small local companies, philanthropists, colleges and universities, and others in order to teach fellows to make use of and understand US institutions.
It will foster reporting accuracy about the U.S. by introducing fellows to a wide variety of U.S. experiences, including people from all walks of life and at different levels of accomplishment; entertainment ranging from classical concerts to block parties; urban and rural lifestyles; science and technology; and issues of race, gender and ethnicity. The programme will also expose fellows to working conditions in the U.S. media. They will be required to report on a variety of social issues to see how U.S. institutions respond to different social concerns.
The role and responsibilities of a free press in a democracy is the primary focus of the WPI fellowship program. First-hand knowledge of the complexity and diversity of life in the U.S. is an equally important goal. Over the term of the fellowship, WPI fellows gain access to a broad range of individuals and institutions ranging from the world renowned to the ordinary.
The WPI fellowship is offered to 10 journalists from countries around the world.
Applications for the 2018 program will be accepted starting in December 2017. The 2018 fellows will spend three weeks in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and then travel to several U.S. cities, including New York and Washington, D.C., for briefings, interviews and visits. They will return to Minnesota for the final week of the programme.
The World Press Institute, located in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, pays all programme costs, including transportation to the U.S. and back, all transportation within the U.S. related to the WPI program, and all lodging costs. In addition, a modest daily per diem for food is provided. Personal expenses, such as cameras, film, postage and clothing, are the responsibility of the fellows.
Fellows are picked by the WPI selection committee, composed of journalists and corporate communications specialists, all with international experience.
The World Press Institute , a private, nonprofit organization supported by a wide range of foundations, local and national media, multinational U.S. corporations, and individuals from all over the world was founded in 1961 and, since then, almost 600 international journalists have participated in its fellowship program.
