solution-journalism-network-lede-fellowship

Application Deadline: January 4, 2023

Armed with seed funding of up to $5,000 and ample professional development opportunities, the LEDE Fellowship connects and supports journalism entrepreneurs with the goal of accelerating the spread of solutions journalism and creating meaningful impact.

LEDE fellows are motivated by a desire to spread solutions journalism, locally and globally. The fellowship provides seed funding of up to $5,000, professional development and the support of the LEDE cohort itself.

The LEDE Fellowship

LEVERAGE the network: Fellows should familiarize themselves with and seek out the expertise and resources of journalists, community members and others whose work is relevant to their project.

ENGAGE the community: Fellows should connect with, support and/or celebrate journalists doing solutions journalism as well as engage with the community that the journalism informs.

DISSEMINATE the knowledge: Projects must directly produce (or catalyze the production of) more solutions journalism. Projects must also be designed to create insight for fellow journalists, newsrooms and other solutions journalism practitioners in the broader SJN network.

ELEVATE what — or who — is missing: Successful projects will help tell the whole story about what’s working, by amplifying marginalized voices and telling stories that problem-focused reporting misses.

Fellowship Details

As a LEDE Fellow, you will:

Join a community of fellow entrepreneurs with whom you will share best practices, overcome challenges, recognize successes (and failures) and collectively build on the global spread of solutions journalism.
Train in skills relevant to your project proposal — revenue generation, effective community engagement, reporting with an equity lens, etc.
Gain access to and collaborate with SJN staff members, key solutions journalism innovators and other journalism professionals in our 5,000-plus member network of journalists around the world.
Receive an honorarium of up to $5,000, proportional to the scope of your project.
Attend a future Solutions Journalism Summit with complimentary registration (a $750 value).

Fellowship Structure

Monthly calls with fellowship cohort similarly focused on expanding audiences’ access to solutions journalism
Bimonthly calls with the entire cohort of LEDE Fellows and alumni, as well as select guest speakers who will support the fellows’ professional development;
On-demand 1:1 calls and other forms of support from SJN’s LEDE Fellowship manager, Julia Hotz, to help fellows design and deliver project goals;

Benefits

Deep connections with a tight-knit community of solutions journalism fellows from around the world, who will serve as lasting sources of accountability, problem-solving and encouragement during and beyond the yearlong fellowship;
Access to exclusive professional development sessions from SJN staff and external partners on storytelling, engagement, fundraising, equity and more;
An honorarium of up to $5,000, proportional to the scope of the fellow’s project

Timeline:

APPLICATION ROUND 1: (December 5 – January 4): Two-question application and “What is solutions journalism?” quiz. Application should take no longer than 2 hours to complete.
APPLICATION ROUND 2 (January 6 – January 13) More in-depth project pitch and 60-second “Why LEDE Fellowship?” video.
INTERVIEWS (January 16 – January 20): Final-round candidates will be invited for a 25-minute interview with LEDE Fellowship manager Julia Hotz and another member of the SJN team.
SELECTION (January 23): The 2023 LEDE Fellows will be announced.
KICKOFF CALL: Tuesday January 31, 2023 12pm ET

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship 2023

Application Deadline: October 17th, 2021

For the third year running, the Solutions Journalism Network is seeking proposals from journalists who are leading or want to lead a project that will produce solutions journalism stories — and take others with them to spread the approach. The LEDE Fellowship is a year-long opportunity for journalists to conceptualize and execute such projects alongside other entrepreneurs committed to extending the reach of solutions journalism and becoming the face of its future.

Requirements

Ability to execute a project that accelerates the spread of solutions journalism in a community;
Commitment to the spirit of “all-teach, all-learn,” capacity to seek out expertise (and offer your own) among peers and constituents;
Entrepreneurship, with an inclination to collaborate and “take others with you”;
Diversity of identity, geography, experience and role;
Deep understanding of journalism and its current challenges;
Passion, enthusiasm and curiosity.

Structure of the Fellowship

Over the course of the fellowship year, January-December 2022, fellows will engage in:

Monthly calls with sub-cohorts of four or five other LEDE Fellows with similarly focused or themed projects;
Bimonthly calls with the entire cohort of 20 to 25 LEDE Fellows, as well as select guest speakers who will support the fellows’ professional development;
Calls twice a year with SJN’s LEDE Fellowship manager, Julia Hotz, to assess progress on project goals;
Knowledge-sharing sessions with SJN’s greater network of journalism professionals.

Funding Allocation

All fellows are eligible to receive up to $3,500 in unrestricted funding to support their projects. During the application process, we encourage fellows to demonstrate how that money will be used. The amount awarded will be proportional to the scope of the project.

Each fellow receives half the stipend at the start of the fellowship. At the six-month mark, following an assessment of the project’s progress by the fellow and the project manager, fellows who are on track toward fulfilling their goals will receive the remainder of their stipend.

Commitment

Achieve their project’s specific goals to seed solutions stories, document teachable insights for the greater SJN community, train and engage with fellow solutions-focused journalists, and create community around solutions journalism;
Contribute insights, share project updates and embrace an “all-teach, all-learn” spirit, seeking out peer expertise — and sharing yours — within the LEDE cohort and with other solutions journalism practitioners in SJN’s network;
Serve as an ambassador for solutions journalism, locally and globally;
Abide by SJN’s ethical standards.

Benefits

Deep connections with a tight-knit community of solutions journalism entrepreneurs from around the world, who will serve as lasting sources of accountability, problem-solving and encouragement during and beyond the yearlong fellowship;
Access to exclusive professional development sessions on storytelling, engagement, fundraising, equity and more;
An honorarium of up to $3,500, proportional to the scope of the fellow’s project;
Ongoing support and promotion from the staff of SJN and its network of more than 5,000 journalists and newsrooms around the world.

Application Timeline:

APPLICATION ROUND 1 (Sept. 20-Oct. 17): Brief project proposal and “What Is Solutions Journalism?” quiz. (Application should take no longer than two hours to complete.) Apply here by Monday, Oct. 17, 5 p.m. EDT.
APPLICATION ROUND 2 (Oct. 22–29): In-depth project pitch and 60-second “Why LEDE Fellowship?” video.
APPLICATION ROUND 3 (Nov. 9–16): Final-round candidates will be invited for a 25-minute interview with LEDE Fellowship manager Julia Hotz and another member of the SJN team.
SELECTION (Nov. 22): The 2022 LEDE Fellows will be announced.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship 2022

Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship 2023-a yearlong opportunity for journalists ($5,000 honorarium)

Solution Journalism Network LEDE Fellowship 2022 -a yearlong opportunity for journalists ($3,500 honorarium)