World Press Institute Fellowship 2025 for Journalists Worldwide (Fully-Funded to the U.S.)

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About World Press Institute Fellowship

Fellowships 2025. Hundreds of professional journalists worldwide apply each year for one of the ten WPI fellowship seats. The finalists represent some of the top journalists in their countries. They are naturally curious, bright, and ambitious and approach journalism with a strong sense of commitment and duty.

Fellowship Overview

By participating in this program, fellows will experience firsthand the role, responsibility, and impact of a free press in one of the world’s largest and most diverse democracies. Through this immersive program, they will explore how the U.S. founding principles of press freedom and journalistic best practices promote transparency and accountability across government institutions, businesses, and organizations.

The program includes a guided tour of key cities, such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco. Fellows meet with experts from media outlets, think tanks, and advocacy organizations, gaining insights into innovative business models adopted by national and local media.

Participants also explore U.S. history, current affairs, and the challenges faced by American media while reporting on social, economic, and political issues. The program offers opportunities to interact with diverse individuals and some free time to explore independently.

• Sponsor Organisation: World Press Institute

Benefits of World Press Institute Fellowship

WPI pays the following program expenses:

1. Transportation

• Roundtrip airfare to the United States.
• Travel within the United States related to the WPI program.

2. Lodging

• Worldpress Institute provides comfortable lodging for journalists during an immersive program.

3. Food

Fellows receive a modest daily allowance to purchase food.

World Press Institute Fellowship Requirements

• At least five years of full-time employment in print, broadcast or online journalism, including:
  • News or editorial departments of newspapers, wire services, radio, television, websites or online publications.
  • Photojournalists, editorial cartoonists, columnists and broadcast producers.
  • Those who supervise journalists are eligible if they also have at least five years as a working journalist.
• Any journalism-related work completed as a university student does not count toward experience. Those who work in public relations or at organizations whose primary business is not the media are not eligible.
• Must be currently employed as a non-U.S. journalist working outside of the United States.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English.
• Potential for leadership.

Fellowship Terms

WPI Fellows are required to adhere to the following terms. Violations of these terms could result in termination from the program.

• Prepare for and participate in all briefings and WPI scheduled events.
• Stay through the entirety of program and return to home countries when the program ends.
• Write for the WPI website among other outlets as assigned. Fellows are also encouraged to share with their readers, listeners or viewers back home.
• Participate in periodic reviews and evaluations, including several roundtable discussions to share insights into the U.S. or international journalism issues.
• Acceptance for others of different cultures. 
• Willingness to travel – the program locations change frequently, and fellows often live out of suitcases.

 

Letters of Recommendation

• Applicants are required to submit the names and email addresses of three professional references. 
  • References will be contacted by WPI to submit online letters of recommendation.
• References should be familiar with the applicant’s work and able to comment in English on their journalistic abilities, potential for growth and leadership abilities.

Work Samples

General

• All samples must include a publication date; most should be within the last two years.
• Include an English summary for all samples not in English.
• All work samples must be online and publicly accessible.
  • Upload work samples to a publicly accessible online service, such as YouTube or Dropbox, if not directly available on a media website.
  • If you are unable to use a public service, work samples can be uploaded with the online application.
    • Accepted file extensions: .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .doc, .mp3
    • Accepted photo and other artwork extensions: .jpg/.jpeg, .gif, or .pdf 

Print journalists

• Writers: Submit three samples of published work that has your byline.
• Editors: Submit a statement describing your job. You may include copies of published work along with a description of your role in these samples. For published work, follow the instructions above.
• Photographers: Submit a portfolio with five (5) published samples. Files with the following extensions are accepted: jpg/jpeg, gif, or pdf.

Do not send complete newspapers, magazines, books, or unpublished manuscripts.

Broadcast journalists

• Links to work samples on YouTube, publicly shared Dropbox files and broadcasters’ websites are accepted. Include a written synopsis in English of each work with a brief description of your involvement.
• Please limit submissions to 15 minutes of programming.

Online journalists

• Samples should be equivalent to three print articles or 15 minutes of programming.
• Provide a link if the segment is still online and outline your involvement with each sample.
• Samples must be journalistic in nature and demonstrate that your job involves news gathering, writing, editing or producing.

• One reference should be a direct supervisor.
• Letters must be in English and address the applicant’s experience, qualifications and potential.

Application Date and Process

• Click on the link to the application website to apply.

Application Deadline

15 February, 2025

Scholarship Application Portal

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