The GroundTruth Project is pleased to announce a call for applications for its “Women in Leadership” reporting fellowship, covering the gender imbalance in the tech sector in Massachusetts.

Building upon GroundTruth’s 2016 “Women in Tech” fellowship (see work here), the “Women in Leadership” fellowship will focus on the concept of ‘the backslide’ in women’s inclusion and representation in tech leadership.

During the month-long fellowship in October 2017, two Boston-area fellows will take an enterprising, solutions-based approach to their reporting. With the support and direction of GroundTruth’s editorial team, they will seek to understand the barriers women face in school and within companies, strategies to mitigate these challenges, and the stories of women’s rise to leadership that enlighten and inform.

The fellowship will kick off with a training workshop in Boston, then selected fellows will go on assignment to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Orlando from October 3-5, 2017. The world’s largest gathering of female technologists, the conference will provide ample opportunities to learn the latest in what’s happening in this space, make valuable connections and conduct interviews with high-profile leaders, and develop narrative threads they will continue to pursue throughout the fellowship.

Fellows will then return to Boston to continue to dig deep into the issues over a span of three weeks.  From the home base of GroundTruth’s headquarters at WGBH, fellows will conduct field reporting throughout the city. Special attention will be paid to Kendall Square, a rising technology hub where fellows will seek to understand whether old patterns of gender discrimination and inequality are being reinforced or overcome. Fellows will also speak with local, state and national leaders who focus on women’s leadership.

Through GroundTruth’s partnerships with media organizations including WGBH News, NPR, The Atlantic, BostInno and SiliconANGLE, fellows will have the opportunity to publish work with a variety of outlets. All work will be also cultivated on GroundTruth’s website as a multimedia Special Report.

QUALIFICATIONS

This opportunity is ideal for forward-thinking Boston-based journalists who are excited about producing in-depth multimedia reporting on the gender gap in Massachusetts. We seek reporters who have the analytical skill set to understand and unpack the nuances of leadership in the tech sector, and the creativity to frame issues with a fresh and socially relevant perspective. Exceptional writing skills required, and audio skills will be considered a plus.

As the opportunity is intended for emerging media professionals, we welcome applications from candidates with 1-5 years of digital reporting experience. Applications will be considered from freelancers or salary-based journalists who are able to take leave of absence for the month-long project.

Fellows are expected to make a full-time commitment for the length of the fellowship (October 2 through October 27).

COMPENSATION

Fellows will receive a $3,000 stipend for the month. Round-trip travel to Orlando, accommodations, and meals for the Grace Hopper Conference will be covered. Minor reporting expenses during Boston part of the fellowship (i.e. local travel and supplies) will also be reimbursed.

GroundTruth is unable to provide accommodations in Boston; for this reason, local journalists are encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for the “Women in Leadership” fellowship are welcome through this Google Form: https://goo.gl/forms/zvMrPEAJovt8Iq8y2

You will be asked to submit contact information, a resume, link to three pieces of samples of work, and brief replies to three questions.

Deadline to submit applications is Thursday, September 7 at 11:59 PM ET.

For questions about the fellowship, please write to fellowships@thegroundtruthproject.org.

AboutThe GroundTruth Project:We area non-profit media organization dedicated to training and supporting the next generation of journalists to tell the most important stories of our time. Based at WGBH, The GroundTruth Project is committed to narrative storytelling across media platforms, including digital, radio/podcast, television and documentary film.

This project is supported through generous funding from the Eos Foundation.