International Center for Journalists Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally 2024

The International Center for Journalists is excited to open applications for the 2024 ICFJ Knight Fellowships, marking the fellowship’s 30th year of fostering innovative journalism practices across the globe. The fellowships are made possible by the longtime support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The one-year fellowship program nurtures groundbreaking media projects that address challenges in the fellows’ home regions and helps share those innovations internationally. In 2024, the ICFJ Knight Fellows will include one or two U.S.-based fellows to focus on the intersection of international and U.S. information needs. 

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Themes that we encourage fellows to focus on include – but are not limited to – this list. Feel free to surprise us with your innovative proposals!

• How AI can serve journalism
• Creating communities and resources for journalists in exile
• Serving the information needs of diaspora communities in the United States
• Combating disinformation, especially around elections
• Covering climate change innovatively
• Creating networks of shared services or infrastructure to help independent journalism thrive

Empowering Journalistic Innovation

The fellowship seeks to empower journalists with the resources, mentorship, and time to bring their innovative ideas to life. Past ICFJ Knight Fellows have become leaders in their areas, and have seeded enduring networks in their regions. 

• Laura Zommer launched Factchequeado to combat disinformation among Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. Their AI-powered chatbot on WhatsApp responds immediately to readers’ queries about suspect information.
   
• Catherine Gicheru is putting women in the news in Sub-Saharan Africa – and in the newsroom. She is changing the narrative to make a business case for inclusion. “Leaving women out of news coverage means ignoring half your audience and leaving advertising money on the table,” she says.
   
• Fabiola Torres launched Salud con Lupa just before the pandemic to put health policy in Latin America under a magnifying glass. Her team’s investigations have forced government resignations over vaccine corruption, proposed legislation to protect consumers from pesticides and changed policies around child care in Peru.
   
• Sérgio Spagnuolo is using technology for transparency, connecting journalists with authoritative sources, and surfacing social media disinformation trends with Nucleo Jornalismo. He also custom designed tools for news organizations during the U.S. midterm elections.  

• Table of Content
• About International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
• ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally
• Aim and Benefits of ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally
• ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally Courses
• Requirements for ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)

International Center for Journalists is a non-profit, professional organization located in Washington, D.C., United States, that promotes journalism worldwide. Since 1984, the International Center for Journalists has worked directly with more than 70,000 journalists from 180 countries over 27 years.

ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally

Aim and Benefits of ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally

Fellows will be provided with a monthly honorarium and professional expenses so they make their fellowship projects their primary focus. Work outside the fellowship that relates to or feeds into the project is allowed. 

The successful applicant will receive funding support, mentorship, and access to a network of media professionals. The fellowship also includes opportunities for training and international exposure, ensuring that the fellow can make a substantial impact in their local media environment and sustain the project beyond the fellowship period.

ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally Courses

• Journalism

Requirements for ICFJ Knight Fellowships for Media Leaders Globally Qualification

We invite applications from established journalists with a track record of impactful journalistic work. This is not a U.S.-based residential fellowship. Fellows will be based in their home countries, except for exiled journalists. The program is particularly interested in projects that leverage innovative approaches and technologies to address specific issues in the local media landscape. 

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit a detailed project proposal outlining their project's objectives, the innovative elements of their approach, and the expected outcomes. A draft budget for the project is also required. Applicants should also demonstrate how their past work supports their proposed fellowship project and a plan for sustaining the project when their fellowship ends.

Application Deadline and Submission

Interested candidates are urged to submit their applications by February 29.

For more details visit: ICFJ website.