Tarbell Fellowship – 2023
The Tarbell Fellowship is a year-long programme for early-career journalists interested in improving the world. Fellows receive a stipend of up to $50,000, mentorship from experienced journalists and training to write about the world’s most important problems.
Why is it called the Tarbell Fellowship?
The Tarbell Fellowship is named in honour of Ida Tarbell. Tarbell was a pioneering investigative journalist, best known for writing The History of the Standard Oil Company. This seminal piece detailed the rise of Standard Oil and exposed its use of unfair and illegal practices, hastening the dissolution of Standard Oil as a monopoly. Tarbell’s work is a striking example of the power of dedicated journalists to effect real change.
Is the fellowship remote?
The fellowship is designed to be remote-first. All fellows are expected to attend the Oxford Summit in person from March 1st-14th 2023. We’re excited to support early-career journalists from around the globe. However, we strongly encourage fellows to move to international journalism hubs for the duration of this fellowship. We expect this to accelerate fellows’ careers and will give preferential treatment to those willing to do this. We may be able to provide office space in hubs such as London and New York.
How long is the fellowship?
The fellowship is twelve months. All fellows are subject to a 3 month probationary period.
The Tarbell Fellowship is a one-year programme for early-career journalists intent on improving the world.
The fellowship represents a unique opportunity to do great journalism, covering topics that could have a major impact on the lives of billions, such as global poverty and existential risks.
Fellows receive a stipend of up to $50,000 to support placements at major publications and independent freelance reporting. The programme incorporates expert speakers, feedback & mentorship from experienced journalists and a two-week journalism summit in Oxford. Upon graduation, we expect fellows to bring their impact-focused perspective to major newsrooms and publications around the globe.
The 2023 Tarbell Fellowship will run from March 1st 2023 – February 29th 2024. Applications close on October 9th, 2022 at 11:59PM Anywhere on Earth.
We believe that good journalism can change the world.
Humanity faces a number of key challenges this century, including reducing catastrophic and existential risks, eradicating factory farming and ending global poverty. Relative to their importance, these issues receive much less attention than they deserve.
The Tarbell Fellowship seeks to change that. We’re creating a community of journalists focused on covering what’s truly important.
How it works
Challenging. Fellows will spend the year building skills and a strong portfolio to accelerate their journalism career.
As the fellowship is not associated with a specific news outlet, fellows must work hard to gain experience. Stipends may be used to support freelancing, placements in major newsrooms, or the production of other forms of journalism.
Full-time. The fellowship is a full time commitment. Journalism is a highly competitive industry, and we expect fellows to be completely focused on succeeding.
Remote. The fellowship is entirely remote. This enables us to support rising journalism talent from around the globe.
However, we strongly encourage fellows to move to international journalism hubs for the duration of this fellowship. We expect this to accelerate fellows’ careers and will give preferential treatment to those willing to do this.
Mar 1st 2023 –
Feb 29th 2024
Mar 1st 2023 –
Mar 14th 2023
Mentorship. Each fellow will be matched with an experienced journalist. Mentors will provide critical feedback and challenge the fellow to set goals and deliver on them. They’ll conduct fortnightly mentorship calls and connect mentees with their network.
Training. Fellows will participate in remote sessions each week as a cohort. This will include training in best practices, talks from experts in the field and challenging assignments designed to build skills.
- Oxford Summit. Fellows attend a two week summit in Oxford at the beginning of the fellowship (March 1st – March 14th 2023). This will be an intensive fortnight of guest speakers, workshops and networking events in Oxford / London. Travel and accommodation costs will be fully covered.
Cultivating the next generation of journalists telling stories that matter.
Who we look for
- Ambitious for impact. A commitment to improving the world. Many fellows will have a demonstrated passion for and familiarity with one or more of our areas of interest.
- Passionate about journalism. Previous newsroom experience (including at student newspapers) or comparable experience in a field such as law or research is desirable but not necessary. We seek to support early-career journalists and will prioritise potential over experience.
- Excellent writing skills. A creative approach to storytelling combined with the ability to quickly get to the heart of a new topic. Fellows must be able to produce compelling copy under tight deadlines.
- Relentless. The ability to doggedly pursue your goals and persevere in the face of adversity. Fellows must be willing to work hard, and be capable of withstanding repeated rejection
- Open-minded. The desire to understand the truth of any given story, even when it conflicts with prior beliefs. Fellows must be open to criticism and recognising ways they can improve their writing and thinking.
If you think you have what it takes, but don’t meet every single point above, please apply and let us know how you believe you can bring your unique skills to the world of journalism.
How to apply
Our application process comprises 5 stages. The further you get, the more time we’ll ask you to invest.
Complete our application form. Include your CV, answer some short questions and provide 1-3 writing samples.
Applications close on October 9th 2022.
Submit a short project detailing the types of topics you’d like to cover and how you expect the Tarbell Fellowship to advance your career. To be completed in 2-3 hours and returned within a few days.
Answer general and situational questions relevant to journalism in a recorded interview.
Write a short article in response to a specific prompt.
A deeper interview with a member of the Tarbell Fellowship team.
