Deadline: 10-Apr-23
Applications are now open for Emerging Media Leaders which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by ICFJ.
This Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is an exchange program for media professionals (journalists, technologists, and media entrepreneurs) from Latin America and the Caribbean to harness the power of digital tools and create viable news businesses that provide news and information in the public interest.
Through the program, media professionals from 21 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean have the opportunity to work directly with U.S. media organizations, develop entrepreneurship projects, and improve their skills in areas such as investigative journalism, fact-checking, and podcasting, as well as non-journalistic skills, such as how to build a sustainable business model.
U.S. media professionals also have the opportunity to do study tours abroad, interact with media outlets throughout the hemisphere, and build lasting relationships with other participants and communities.
The six-week program includes:
- One week of orientation led by ICFJ. Fellows receive hands-on training on digital tools and techniques and have opportunities to workshop their project proposals with other media innovators in a safe space for collaboration and learning. The orientation takes place in Washington, DC.
- Four weeks of professional newsroom embedments. The program pairs fellows with U.S. newsrooms, digital communications firms, startup incubators, based on the fellows’ backgrounds, skills, and project proposals. During the newsroom embedments, fellows will have opportunities to meet and learn from different teams in the newsrooms.
- Professional Fellows Congress – The congress takes place in Washington, DC and is a great opportunity to network, learn and meet Professional Fellows from different industries and parts of the world.
Eligible Countries
- Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Eligibility Criteria
- The program is open to young professionals and emerging leaders who: graphic of a clipboard with a green check mark
- Are between the ages of 25 and 40;
- Are from one of the 21 eligible countries;
- Are citizens or permanent residents of their home country;
- Are living and working in their home country at the time of application;
- Have at least two years of professional experience at the time of application;
- Submit a complete application, with all required documents, by the application deadline;
- Are able to begin the Professional Fellows Program in the United States in 2023/2024;
- Are able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa;
- Are committed to returning to their home country after completion of the program;
- Are proficient in spoken and written English at the time of application.
Note:
- In response to the ongoing global pandemic, the Emerging Media Leaders Professional Fellows program may be offered as a hybrid program with virtual activities leading up to a U.S.-based exchange. Please note: the in-person, U.S.-based exchange is contingent upon favorable travel conditions. In the event there are travel restrictions, or other factors which could adversely impact the health, safety and welfare of program participants, host organizations, and local communities, The Program may postpone or pivot the planned in-person U.S.-based exchange to virtual programming. Emerging Media Leaders will follow available national and local public health guidance when making decisions related to program activities.
Ineligible
- Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for the Professional Fellows Program:
- U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents of the United States;
- Spouses of U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents of the United States;
- Individuals participating in academic, training or research programs in the United States at the time of application;
- Individuals residing or working outside their home countries at the time of application;
- Individuals who have participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. Government (e.g., U.S. Department of State, Public Affairs Sections of U.S. Embassies or other U.S. government agencies) who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time of application;
- Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years;
- Employees and their families of non-profit organizations who administer the Professional Fellows Program on behalf of the U. S. Department of State. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents;
- Local employees of the U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development are ineligible during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment;
- Immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development employees for a period of one year following the termination of such employment. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents.
For more information, visit ICFJ.