APPLY for: Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship opportunity for journalists ($5,000 honorarium)

The LEDE Fellowship links and supports journalism entrepreneurs with the aim of speeding the spread of solutions journalism and producing significant impact. It does so with the help of initial money of up to $5,000 and several possibilities for professional development.

The goal of LEDE fellows is to promote solutions journalism both locally and internationally. The fellowship offers up to $5,000 in seed money, professional development opportunities, and the assistance of the LEDE cohort itself.

USE the network: Fellows should become acquainted with and look for the resources and knowledge of journalists, locals, and others whose work is pertinent to their topic.

Engage the community: Fellows should interact with, assist, and/or recognize journalists who are reporting on solutions to problems, as well as the communities that these journalists are informing.

DISSEMINATE knowledge: Projects need to create more solutions journalism directly (or stimulate the creation of it). Projects must be planned to produce insight for other journalists, newsrooms, and other practitioners of solutions journalism in the larger SJN network.

SHINE A LIGHT on what or person is missing: By elevating underrepresented voices and revealing tales that problem-focused reporting leaves out, successful projects will contribute to telling the full narrative of what is succeeding.

Fellowship Information. You will: as an LEDE Fellow:

• Join a group of like-minded businesspeople with whom you can exchange best practices, overcome obstacles, celebrate achievements (and disappointments), and jointly advance the worldwide growth of solutions journalism.
• Learn skills such as revenue generation, effective community participation, reporting with an equitable lens, etc. that are pertinent to your project proposal.
• Access SJN staff members, important journalism innovators, and other industry professionals through our network of more than 5,000 journalists worldwide.
• Depending on the size of your effort, you may be given an honorarium of up to $5,000.
• Free registration to a future Solutions Journalism Summit (a $750 value) is available.

Fellowship Organization

• Monthly calls with fellow fellows focused on increasing audiences’ access to journalism solutions
• Calls every two months with the full cohort of LEDE Fellows, alumni, and a few special guests who will help the fellows develop professionally;
• Whenever needed, fellows can speak one-on-one with Julia Hotz, the manager of the SJN LEDE Fellowship, for support in designing and carrying out their projects.

Benefits

• Strong ties to a close-knit global network of solutions journalism fellows who will be a constant source of accountability, problem-solving, and support throughout and after the 12-month fellowship;
• Access to special training courses on storytelling, engagement, fundraising, equity, and other topics led by SJN employees and outside partners;
• Up to $5,000 in honorarium, based on the size of the fellow’s project

Timeline:

• The first application round (December 5–January 4) consisted of a two-question application and a test on “Solutions Journalism.” Application processing shouldn’t take more than two hours.
• RUND 2 OF APPLICATIONS (January 6 – January 13) A longer project pitch and a 60-second “Why LEDE Fellowship?” video are both available.
• Interviews will be held from January 16 to January 20. Final-round applicants will be given a 25-minute interview slot with SJN team member and LEDE Fellowship manager Julia Hotz.
• The 2023 LEDE Fellows will be revealed on January 23.
• Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 12 p.m. ET, Kickoff Call. Visit the Official Webpage of the Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship 2023 Deadline: January 4, 2023