Deadline: 3-Feb-23
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute invites proposals from individuals and organizations who wish to partner with them on practical innovative projects for community centered news, journalists and the communities they serve.
Chosen projects often include devising new strategies or models to solve a problem, building new tools, creating a training workshop/program or building a specific resource for journalists or newsrooms to utilize. All fellowship projects are built and implemented within the span of the 8 month fellowship and must be free, accessible and open-source for everyone to utilize.
2023 Theme: Direct Revenue
This year’s residential fellowship is for an individual who wants to spend a year at RJI to create a resource to help newsrooms generate new sources of direct revenue. Some examples include: growing and making use of first-party data, creating new products, improving existing options like sponsorships and memberships.
The fellow will collaborate with RJI staff, students and faculty on-site at our institute in Columbia, Missouri. They will get a living stipend and have access to funding through the institute for project expenses. The end product will be a free, accessible and equitable resource that has been piloted across the country in community-centered newsrooms before the end of the fellowship.
Types of Fellowships
They have two types of RJI Fellowships:
- Residential Fellowship
- This year’s residential fellowship is for an individual who wants to spend a year at RJI to create a resource to help newsrooms generate new sources of direct revenue. Some examples include: growing and making use of first-party data, creating new products, improving existing options like sponsorships and memberships;
- The fellow will collaborate with RJI staff, students and faculty on-site at thier institute in Columbia, Missouri. They will get a living stipend and have access to funding through the institute for project expenses. The end product will be a free, accessible and equitable resource that has been piloted across the country in community-centered newsrooms before the end of the fellowship.
- Remote: Nonresidential or Institutional
- Nonresidential fellowships are a remote fellowship where the funding goes directly to an individual to let them pursue an idea outside of their day job/work. You will make at least one visit to RJI to meet your Fellow cohort, RJI leadership, faculty, students and access on-site resources. Your project will be implemented and tested in the newsroom(s) of your choice during your fellowship, before your final product is launched for journalists to utilize;
- Institutional fellowships are a remote fellowship where the funding for the fellowship goes to the company or institution, rather than an individual. RJI will collaborate with the individual assigned to lead the team/project, that individual will be named an RJI Institutional Fellow. The Institutional Fellow will visit RJI with the fellow cohort to meet RJI leadership, faculty, students and access on-site resources. The stipend for this fellowship can be used for salary relief for the fellow, or for another purpose that the company or institution determines will best ensure the success of the fellowship project. The project can be implemented and tested at the institution or in another newsroom of their choice during the fellowship.
Funding Information
- Residential Fellowship
- Up to $100,000 which includes a living stipend and funding for project expenses through the institute;
- Duration: 12 months.
- Remote: Nonresidential or Institutional
- Fellows receive a $25,000 stipend, payable in increments as deliverables are met for each stage of the fellowship;
- Duration: 8 months.
Deliverables & expectations:
- One article each month published on rjionline.org that gives transparent updates on your progress, results, lessons learned, challenges, successes and failures;
- A monthly public webinar, panel or event that brings journalists, students, faculty, newsrooms and communities into the conversation around your project and/or supplies learning opportunities related to your project. Should also function as a feedback loop on your project deliverables and resource end product;
- Weekly meetings with the RJI Director of Innovation to report progress, ask questions and access RJI resources;
- Guest lecture monthly in a class at Mizzou on a subject related to your project work.
- One presentation to Mizzou faculty & guests per a semester to talk about progress, lessons and opportunities for collaboration;
- Implement your resource in the One Newsroom + at least 5 community centered newsrooms across the country;
- Mentor and engage with Missouri School of Journalism students hired by RJI to work on your project;
- Launch a final resource in June 2024 that is ready to be utilized by newsrooms & journalists + documentation on how to use it and the principles behind it;
- This fellowship is considered a full time 1-year contract and cannot be combined with other roles or remote jobs. There will be no possibility for extension or renewal.
