Deadline: 4 December 2025
The Al Jazeera Fellowship Programme seeks to encourage research in media and other fields of journalism, as well as to provide fellows with the opportunity to learn through practical experience within the Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN).
Focus: To foster the growth of high-quality journalism in the Global South and support journalists in adapting to modern technologies, while promoting innovation and research. The programme also aims to enrich journalistic content in the region and offer journalists and researchers an opportunity to engage with AJMN’s work culture, gaining insights into its professional practices.
Applicants can choose research topics under various themes such as Journalism and the Global South, Digital Journalism, New Schools in Journalism, Journalism Ethics, and Media Institutions and Challenges.
Illustrative topics include redefining journalistic practices in the Global South, the impact of colonialism and globalization on journalism, fact-checking and news verification, AI integration in newsrooms, photo-documentary journalism, new ethical challenges in digital journalism, and challenges facing independent media platforms.
The fellowship duration is three months, divided into two phases. In Phase 1, participants will work remotely to prepare and submit a research plan and introduction to their paper. In Phase 2, they will continue their research at Al Jazeera Media Network headquarters until the final submission of their paper.
Eligible applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree, be full-time journalists or researchers with a minimum of four years of professional experience in journalism or media-related research, and possess strong research and writing skills.
Fluency in English, both written and spoken, is mandatory. Applicants from non-Arab countries are eligible for the English Fellowship Programme, while those from Arab countries may apply for the Arabic Fellowship Programme.
Applicants must complete an online application form and submit supporting documents in PDF format, including a curriculum vitae, a detailed fellowship proposal, three samples of work in English, and two letters of recommendation. Missing documents will lead to disqualification.
As part of the Al Jazeera Fellowship, selected participants will write a 7,000-word research paper on chosen fields of journalism. Fellows will join a team within the Al Jazeera Media Network, experience the working environment first-hand, and meet editors, journalists, and other staff members relevant to their research proposal.
The research proposal must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words and demonstrate the relevance and originality of the chosen topic. It should include an introduction, research questions, importance of the subject, methodology, theories or approaches used, data collection and analysis tools, expected challenges, and an explanation of how journalists and Al Jazeera will benefit from the research outcomes. Proposals must be authentic, original, and written specifically for the Al Jazeera Fellowship Programme.
A committee will review applications and select the most competent candidates, based on the fulfilment of eligibility criteria and the relevance of the applicant’s research proposal to AJMN and journalism in general.
For more information, visit Al Jazeera Media Institute.