Pulitzer International Reporting Student Fellowship

Asking how you can become an international student reporter? Look no further! (No prior experience required)
 

Pulitzer Center International Reporting Student Fellowship Opportunity

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an innovative award-winning non-profit journalism organization dedicated to supporting in-depth engagement with underreported global affairs through sponsorship of quality international journalism across all media platforms and a unique program of outreach and education to schools and universities.

The Pulitzer Campus Consortium is a network of universities and community colleges that support in-person campus visits by Pulitzer Center journalists and international reporting fellowships for students. The Pulitzer Fellowship at Penn was founded by both the South Asia Center and the Middle East Center, who currently remains as a historic partner. Penn students have the opportunity to expand their global education by applying for one of these fellowships. Support is provided by the Pulitzer Center, Penn Global, the South Asia Center (SAC), and Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean (PLAC).  All current full-time Penn students, undergraduate and graduate, returning in the same full-time status in the fall, are eligible to apply. 


WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE AND WHO IS A GOOD FIT TO BE A STUDENT JOURNALIST:

Previous journalism is not a requirement but an open mind and a willingness to write, photograph and/or create videos is necessary. Pulitzer Center editors work closely with the fellows on storytelling strategies, reporting methods and travel logistics. Applicants should be committed to taking on the role of a journalist for the course of the fellowship for at least 8 weeks. This means asking questions and going deep into stories. To get a handle on the differences between journalism and advocacy or public relations, carefully read the Pulitzer Center’s Ethics and Standards Policy. The fellows will participate in a pre-departure workshop held by Penn Global to prepare for their trip abroad. 

The strongest applicants will identify an untold story and present a clear, succinct plan for telling that story. Take a look at past reporting on the Pulitzer Center's site to get an idea of how journalists pitch their projects and to avoid pitching a story idea that has already been covered.


LOCATIONS THAT CAN BE USED FOR STORY FOCUS:

Any country approved for safe travel within South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.


DELIVERABLES, DISSEMINATION, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

If you are awarded a Pulitzer International Reporting Student Fellowship, your project will have set deliverables (e.g. three blog posts, a narrative slideshow and a longer piece) agreed to by you and the Pulitzer Center and due by the end of August 2025. Your work will be published on the Pulitzer Center site and possibly other outlets. You will also be expected to participate in outreach efforts for South Asia Center (SAC) and Penn in Latin America and the Caribbean (PLAC) upon return to campus.

All students who are accepted to the Pulitzer Reporting Fellowship Program will receive a minimum GRIP Funding Award of $3,500 from Penn Global. Need-based financial aid recipients may be eligible for additional funding.

Please note that the GRIP Funding Award is meant to help offset some of the expected travel costs of the summer and that interns are responsible for covering the remainder. 


APPLICATION PROCESS: 

  1. Attend an info session
    • Students interested in participating in the GRIP program are required to attend one of the GRIP info sessions offered during the application period or review the GRIP on-demand.
    • Students can also join an information session with specific details on the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting program on Friday, December 6th at 12 PM ET. Please register here. 
       
  2. Open your application within PASSPORT.
    • Click the "Apply Now" button on the GRIP program brochure you wish to apply to. This will prompt you to log in to PASSPORT with your PennKey and password to open your GRIP application.
    • Complete all requirements listed in the online application, including:
      • Resume
      • 2025 Reporting Fellowship Applicatoin (linked in application instructions)
      • Work samples, including news article, feature story, blog entry, website, photojournalism, or video content
         
  3. Submit your GRIP application by the application deadline OR before the application cap is reached, whichever is earlier.
    • GRIP Application Deadline: 12PM Noon ET on Wednesday, January 8, 2025
    • This placement has a cap of 20 total submitted applications. Once the cap has been reached, we will no longer accept applications for that placement. 
    • Remember to click the “Submit” button to fully submit your application in PASSPORT!
       
  4. If you open and then withdraw an application for this placement, you will be required to email intern-abroad@upenn.edu to reinstate it. 


To apply for the 2025 Fellowship, please apply HERE.

APPLICATION DUE: CLOSED. 


QUESTIONS / CONTACTS:      

Pulitzer Center: studentfellows@pulitzercenter.org

South Asia Center: Outreach Coordinator, Sharifa Halimi, shalimi@sas.upenn.edu

Latin American / Caribbean region reporting: Nancy Biller, plac@upenn.edu

Penn Global: Laurie Jensen, lauriej@upenn.edu


Find out More About Our Partners Here:

Penn Global
Latin America & the Caribbean (PLAC)
Middle East Center