The call for 2017 fellows is now open. The deadline is March 18, 2017.
The fellowship, overseen by the Pulitzer Center in collabouration with Internews, is designed to help journalists from the developing world do the kind of reporting they’ve always wanted to do and enable them to bring their work to a broader international audience. The fellowship will benefit those with limited access to other fellowships and those whose work is not routinely disseminated internationally. Miel fellowships involve reporting from within the applicant’s native country—or following migrant communities from there to other locations.
Eligibility: The Persephone Miel fellowships are open to all journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers or filmmakers, staff journalists as well as freelancers and media professionals outside the U.S. who are seeking to report from their home country. Women and journalists from developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be proficient in English.
Selection: The fellowship recipient will be selected by the Pulitzer Center in consultation with Internews. Selection will be based on the strength of the proposed topic and the strength of the applicant’s work as demonstrated in their work samples. We are looking for projects that explore systemic issues in the applicant’s native country and that provide an overarching thesis, rather than individual spot-reports from the field.
Terms of travel grant: The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting will provide a travel grant of $5000 for a reporting project on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or under-reported in the mainstream media. Specific grant terms are negotiated during the application process based on the scope of proposed work and intended outcomes. Payment of the first half of the grant is disbursed prior to travel, upon receipt of required materials, and the second half on submission of the principal work for publication/broadcast.
Before beginning the project the Persephone Miel Fellow will come to Washington, D.C., to meet with Pulitzer Center staff and journalists and take part in a 2-day workshop on the pending project and strategies for placement and outreach. The Pulitzer Center will provide $2500 to cover travel expenses associated with the Washington workshop.
The Center works with fellowship recipients to distribute their work across multiple platforms in the U.S. to reach the widest possible audience. Projects with multimedia components that combine print, photography and video are strongly encouraged.
How to apply for the Miel Fellowship
Applications must be received in English.
Applications include the following:
- A description of the proposed project, including distribution plan, in no more than 250 words
- A preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs. Travel grants cover hard costs associated with the reporting; please do not include stipends for the applicants. Fixer/translator/driver fees are acceptable
- Three samples of published work, either print or broadcast.
- Three professional references. These can be either contact information, or letters of recommendation. The latter is encouraged when letters from interested producers or editors are available.
- A copy of your curriculum vitae.
Applications may also include a more detailed description of project but this will be considered as optional supplement only. The most important part of the submission is the 250-word summary.
