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304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Deadline: December 3, 2025
Applications are now open for the John S. Knight (JSK) Journalism Fellowships 2026/2027 at Stanford University, USA — a fully funded, transformative program designed for journalists, media innovators, and newsroom leaders from around the world.
The JSK Fellowship brings together a diverse cohort of mid-career journalists who are passionate about reimagining the future of journalism. The program is based at Stanford University, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, where fellows spend ten months exploring solutions to the most pressing challenges in the media industry.
Fellows work on projects that promote press freedom, innovation, and community engagement, while having access to Stanford’s world-class faculty, interdisciplinary research centers, and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Silicon Valley.
Benefits
As a JSK Fellow, you’ll receive:
- Individual coaching and customized workshops to strengthen leadership, resilience and the ability to navigate change.
- A purposefully designed cohort experience that fosters genuine connection, collaboration and peer learning.
- Time and freedom to explore Stanford’s extraordinary academic and creative offerings.
- Access to the global JSK alumni network, a lifelong source of support and inspiration.
- A stipend of $130,000 for the nine-month fellowship.
- Stanford tuition and health insurance for fellows, plus a health supplement for dependents enrolled in Stanford coverage.
- Advice on finding rental housing and practical tips about settling in to the Stanford area for you and your family.
SEE ALSO: John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships 2026/2027 at Stanford University, USA ($130,000 Stipend & Fully Funded)
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must have at least five years of professional work experience.
- JSK do not require applicants to have a college degree or experience in traditional newsrooms. (Student or internship experience is valuable but does not count toward the five-year threshold.)If you are not a full-time journalist, the majority of your work needs to be in journalism.
JSK welcome applications from journalists currently working in news organizations, independent journalists, journalism entrepreneurs, strategists and innovators. are eligible for our program.
The program is not open to:
- Individuals seeking a degree
- Those working in public information or public relations
- Professionals producing in-house or industry communications
- Employees of government agencies
- Full-time academics
The fellowship does not support book or reporting projects, and we are not a start-up accelerator.
Expectations
Being a JSK Fellow is a full-time commitment and requires full participation in the program. You’ll receive a monthly stipend and health coverage through Stanford, allowing you to focus entirely on your fellowship experience.
Fellows are expected to:
- Be in residence at Stanford from September through May.
- Dedicate themselves full-time to the fellowship.
- Participate in weekly cohort meetings and biweekly individual coaching sessions.
- Attend other occasional JSK events and Stanford gatherings.
- Share insights and reflections publicly throughout the year.
- Collaborate respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Application Process and Documents Required
The application process is straightforward. It’s designed to help us understand who you are, what drives you and how you hope to grow during the fellowship.
To apply:
- Register for an account on SurveyMonkey Apply, our application platform.
- Answer a few profile questions to determine whether you qualify for the U.S. or international fellowship.
- Complete the online application form, which includes questions about your career journey, what you hope to contribute to a JSK cohort and how the fellowship aligns with your professional goals.
- Submit supporting materials:
- A one-minute selfie video describing what you want to be doing in journalism three to five years from now.
- Your resume.
- One work sample.
- Contact information for three professional references.
- Disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in preparing your application. A dedicated section in the form will ask about this.
