Last month saw the closing of The Vindicator, the newspaper that served as Youngstown, Ohio’s watchdog for 150 years. Unfortunately, it’s only the latest high-profile paper to see its final run.  As we reported, The Vindicator is among some 1,800 news organizations to have shuttered in the past 15 years. 

Even as organizations like “The Vindy” close, we want to spotlight opportunities that allow journalists to create and support great journalism, no matter the stage in your career. Some of these grants and fellowships might offer reporters a chance to reinvent themselves, while others can be an opportunity to meet people that could lead you to a new job.

These are the places we look to when finding opportunities for our Navigator newsletter and we hope that this list can be an ever-expanding, curated resource for you throughout your career in this profession so vital to Democracy. 

We want to help. What resources do you trust when searching for your next professional move? Let us know! Shoot an email to Josh Coe and we will consider adding it to this resource, which will be updated quarterly on our website.

Lists of grant and fellowship opportunities for journalists

• The University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media News Lab
• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
• Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)
• International Journalism Network (from ICFJ)
• Wallace House at the University of Michigan 
• The Maynard Institute
• John S. Knight Fellowships
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) 
• International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)
• ProPublica
• Hearst Fellowships
• International Center for Journalists
• The Nieman Foundation 
• Society of Environmental Journalists
• The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri School of Journalism
• And last but not least: The GroundTruth Project and Report for America!

Where to search for journo jobs

Here are some resources to check out when looking for the latest job openings. Sites such as JournalismJobs.com and Journalism.co.uk allow users to sign up for customized job alerts to be sent to your inbox.

• The Poynter Institute (you can also find training opportunities here)
• JournalismJobs.com
• MediaBistro.com
• Journalism.co.uk
• Association of Health Journalists

Resources for Freelancers

We would love some reader feedback on more great resources for freelancers!

• General: Rory Peck Trust
• Health care beat: AHJC
• Environmental beat: SEJ

Journalism Organizations/Memberships/Chapters

Yes, there’s the Society of Professional Journalists, but there are many more organizations supporting and promoting journalism, including those that promote people of color in this field.

• National Association of Hispanic Journalists
  • Membership: $35 annually
  • Career Center: https://www.nahjcareers.org/
    • Note: they are also starting a platform in the next coming months called “palabra.” Which will be an online media site intended for Latinx freelance journalists and other NAHJ members. It’s not open yet but something for Latinx journos to keep an eye out for!

• National Association of Black Journalists
  • Membership: $75 for a media-related professional membership. Other membership options here
  • Career Center: https://www.nabjcareers.org/

• Asian American Journalist Association
  • Membership: $65
  • Career Center: https://www.aaja.org/career_center
    • Note: to request a reduced member fees application (for recently unemployed members or those undergoing financial hardship), please email support@aaja.org

• Native American Journalist Association
  • Membership: $55 for professional membership (native person) or $55 for associate membership (non-native person)
  • Career Center: https://najanewsroom.com/jobs

Upcoming Fellowships, Grants, and Networking Opportunities 

Starting in September 2019…

• Cullman Center Fellowships (from The New York Public Library)
  • Pay: $70,000
  • Deadline: Sept. 27

• Knight Visiting Nieman Fellowships
  • Pay: $1,350-per-week stipend
  • Deadline: Sept. 27

• Alexia Foundation Grant for Photojournalists
  • Pay: $20,000
  • Deadline: Sept. 30

• Alicia Patterson Fellowships (Year and half-year)
  • Pay: $40,000 for full-year fellows and $20,000 for six-month fellowship
  • Deadline: Oct. 1

• Fledgling Fund Grants
  • Pay: “up to $25,000”
  • Deadline: Oct. 1

• “Spotlight on statehouse and local reporting” Workshop by The National Press Foundation
  • Pay: “all-expenses-paid”
  • Deadline: Oct. 4

• Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Diversity Fellowship
  • Pay: $30,000
  • Deadline: Oct. 7

• Alan R. and Barbara D. Finberg Fellowship by Human Rights Watch
  • Pay: $60,000
  • Deadline: Oct. 11

• AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance
  • Pay: “covers the cost of attending the seminars and AHCJ conferences, and a $4,000 project allowance is available to defray the cost of field reporting, health data analysis and other project-related research. In addition, each fellow will receive a $2,500 fellowship award upon the successful completion of the project.”
  • Deadline: Oct. 21

• The Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship
  • Pays: “monthly stipend, health insurance and financial support for accompanying spouse and children.”
  • Deadline: Nov. 1

• High Country News Fellowship (half year or year)
  • Pay: “free housing and a $220-per-week stipend for interns and free housing and a $375-per-week stipend for fellows.”
  • Deadline: Nov. 1

• Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellowship
  • Pay: $75,000
  • Deadline: Feb. 1, 2020

Stefania Lugli contributed to this post.