Al Jazeera Fellowship Program for Journalists and Scholars

The Al Jazeera Fellowship Program was borne out of the journalistic institution’s aim to contribute to the ongoing efforts of many Arab and international institutions to improve journalism. To this end, the fellowship programs offered by the Al Jazeera Media Institute (AJMI) seek to encourage research in media and other fields of journalism, as well as to provide journalists and scholars with the opportunity to learn through practical experience within the Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN).

Application deadline: December 7, 2021

Benefits of the Al Jazeera Fellowship Program

As part of the Al Jazeera Fellowship, journalists and scholars will have the opportunity to write a 7,000-word research paper on selected fields of journalism. Successful applicants to the program will:

• Join a team within AJMN and experience the working environment first-hand.
• Meet with editors, journalists and other staff, relevant to their research proposal.

The opportunity is meant for full-time journalists and researchers with a background in media or social sciences.

The following objectives are also outlined:

• To contribute to the development of high-quality journalism in the Global South and to help journalists to adapt to modern technologies.
• To encourage innovation and research.
• To enrich journalistic content in the Global South.
• To provide an opportunity for journalists and researchers to be immersed in AJMN’s work culture and environment, and to learn about its journalistic practices.
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Furthermore, the program will take two months to complete, divided into two main phases:

Phase 1 (To be completed remotely): The researcher will work on and submit a research plan and an introduction to his or her research paper before proceeding to phase 2.

Phase 2 (To be completed at Al Jazeera Media Network Headquarters): The researcher will continue the research until the final submission of the paper.

Eligibility Criteria for Journalists and Scholars

Al Jazeera Fellowship

A committee will review applications and select the most competent candidates, based on the fulfillment of eligibility criteria and the relevance of the applicant’s research proposal to AJMN and journalism in general. The committee will be made up of members of the AJMI, which includes representatives from Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English, and Al Jazeera’s Digital Division.

The applicant should provide a research proposal on one of the following topics:

(Topics provided within each area are only illustrative and not exhaustive)

1) Digital Journalism

• Storytelling: How has storytelling changed with the transition from traditional journalism to digital journalism? Has the media been preoccupied with modern techniques and visual effects to the detriment of journalism and storytelling?
• Fact Checking, disinformation and media manipulation.
• Intersection of journalism and technology: smart newsrooms, mobile journalism, data journalism etc.
• Using artificial intelligence in newsrooms.

2) Journalism types

• Photo documentaries.
• Anthropological journalism.
• Slow journalism.
• Intersection disciplinary of journalism with humanities and social sciences.
• Journalistic narration methods.

3) Journalistic ethics

• The role of journalists in empowering the democratic process and protecting human rights.
• Best practices in covering issues relating to minorities.
• Hate speech in media and social networks.

4) Media and democracy

• The role of journalists in promoting democratic practices and protecting human rights.
• Promoting gender equality in journalism in the Global South.
• Diversity in newsrooms.
• Media literacy.

5) Challenges facing media organizations

• Challenges facing independent media organizations.
• Media organizations’ business models, and best practices for development.
• Building digital convergence strategies for media organizations.
• How are traditional media organizations incorporating digital platforms?
• Challenges for journalism schools in the Global South.

Visiting Journalist Fellowship

A committee from the AJMI will review applications and select the most competent candidates, based on fulfillment of eligibility criteria and background.

Please take note of the following eligibility criteria for both journalists and scholars willing to take either of the fellowship options:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Full-time journalist or researcher (freelancer or employed).
• At least four years of professional experience in journalism or research, relevant to journalistic and/or media fields.
• Strong research and writing skills.
• Fluent in English (speaking and writing).
• In order to apply for the Fellowship, applicants must have a proper grasp of English academic writing.
• The Al Jazeera Fellowship in English is only open to those from non-Arab countries. Those from Arab countries may apply to our Arabic Fellowship Programme.

Requirements

In addition to completing the online application form, applicants are required to submit the following documents in PDF format, with the exception of video, images or other graphic materials provided as work samples. Please note that if any of the following is missing, the application will not be considered.

• Curriculum vitae.
• Fellowship proposal (must include title, field of interest, objectives, methodology, abstract).
• Signed letter of commitment.
• Three samples of the applicant’s work in English.
• Two letters of recommendation.

Fellow commitments

If you are selected to take part in the Fellowship Program, you will commit to the following:

• Develop and submit a research paper of up to 7,000 words, as per the AJMI guidelines (these will be provided to successful applicants).
• Fellow must be accountable at all times. Monthly reports on work status/progress and completion must be submitted.
• Be an active and engaged member of the Al Jazeera community.

Research proposal requirements

The proposal should be between 1000 to 1500 words, demonstrating how and why your research is relevant to your field. Your proposal should demonstrate that the work is necessary to fill a gap in the existing body of research on your subject, underlining existing research on your subject, and adding new depths to the understanding of your subject. The proposal must contain the following:

1. An introduction to your topic, stating your proposal and the questions your research aims to answer.
2. The reason your subject is of particular importance.
3. A summary of the research methodology and the theories/approaches that the researcher will use.
4. The tools and procedures you will use to collect, analyze and interpret the data you collect.
5. The main challenges that you expect to face during the research.
6. An explanation of how journalists could benefit from your final research.
7. An explanation of how your placement at Al Jazeera headquarters will benefit your research project.

The following points should be taken into consideration

• The research proposal should be authentic and original.
• The research proposal should be written specifically for the Al Jazeera Fellowship Program.
• There will be no tolerance of any kind of plagiarism.

How to Apply

If you are interested in either of the fellowship programs, please apply by filling out the required information:

Link to: Al Jazeera Fellowship

Link to: Visiting Journalist Fellowship

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