Applications for the first cohort of the fellowship, featuring newsrooms in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, are now closed. More regions to come in 2025!
The Climate and Environmental Science Fellowship for Local Journalism is a new initiative designed to support local newsrooms in their efforts to report on the science of climate and environmental change. Importantly, this fellowship focuses on local newsrooms — not individuals in newsrooms — and their specific challenges in reporting on these issues for their communities. This fellowship aims to address the challenges that local newsrooms face when covering these critical issues, providing the training and resources needed to produce long-term, accurate, equitable and impactful coverage that serves their communities. The first cohort for the fellowship will focus on newsrooms in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts with 10 newsrooms chosen from submitted and complete applications.
With more than 25 years of experience in training journalists to communicate science with accuracy and accountability, Metcalf Institute has developed this fellowship to help newsrooms increase their capacity for science supported, community-focused climate and environment reporting. The fellowship is specifically tailored to the needs of local newsrooms, rather than individual journalists, ensuring that the entire newsroom benefits from the training and resources provided.
Fellowship Benefits:
- Interactive Training: Workshops led by University of Rhode Island faculty and regional experts, focused on translating complex climate and environment science into compelling news stories relevant to local communities.
- $1000 Stipend: Each participating newsroom will receive a stipend to support a named fellow who will help embed the training within the newsroom.
- Coaching: Three months of coaching from Metcalf Institute’s journalism experts, offering guidance on long-term strategies for sustaining accurate and accountable local climate and environment coverage.
Eligibility:
- Open to local newsrooms based in a specific region across all mediums (print, digital, television, radio, podcast, multimedia, etc.).
- Newsrooms must commit to naming a fellow who will serve as the climate and environment coverage lead, as well as an additional second individual who also will attend weekly workshops. One of these roles must be filled by a senior staff member (i.e. editor, executive producer, general manager).
- Participants must be based in the specified local region.
- Participants must agree to attending 5 out of the 6 workshops and at least one coaching session per month.
- Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to improving their coverage of climate and environmental issues that affect their local communities.
- Metcalf Institute strives to create a diverse Fellowship cohort. Newsrooms that are by and for marginalized marginalized or underserved communities, are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Independent journalists (freelancers) may apply if they have a working relationship with a local newsroom.
Key Dates for the first 2025 Cohort:
- Application Opens: October 17, 2024
- Application Deadline: November 21st, 2024
- Notification of Acceptance: December 17, 2024
- Program Format: Virtual (Zoom)
- Program Dates: Six workshops on Thursdays from 12pm-1:30pm from January 23 to February 27. Additional coaching through March, April, and May.
This fellowship represents a critical opportunity for newsrooms to strengthen their climate coverage, build lasting connections with scientific experts and community leaders, and engage their audiences with accurate, actionable information about the environmental challenges facing their regions.
Ten newsrooms will be chosen from submitted and completed applications. Please note that newsrooms may be invited to a virtual discussion as part of the application process.