If you are a journalist with a beautiful idea for an impactful story that “follows the money” but are challenged by limited resources to produce the story, then the McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism is for you.
Besides editorial support, the McGraw Fellowship provides financial grants to journalists who need the time and resources to produce significant investigative or enterprise stories with fresh insight into an important business, financial, or economic topic.
You can submit an application for an in-depth text, audio, or short-form video piece. Note that the fellowship does not sponsor long-form documentaries, and it is not a residency fellowship. You will essentially work from your own office.
Funding details
- The Fellowship provides a grant of up to $15,000 for each project. The exact amount will depend on the time it takes to complete the project and the expenses needed.
- Freelance journalists may use some of the funding as a stipend for living expenses during the fellowship.
- Applicants should have proven ability to report and execute a complex project in their proposed medium; ideal candidates should also have a strong background or reporting expertise on the subject of their project.
Who can apply?
- The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism is open to anyone with at least five years of professional experience in journalism.
- It supports work by freelance journalists, as well as by reporters and editors currently working at a news organization or a journalism non-profit.
- In the latter case, reporters and editors can apply directly in the name of their organization.
What you need to apply
- You have to submit a pitch-like proposal of no more than three pages through a dedicated online form. The pitch should have enough preliminary reporting and documentation demonstrating the strength of the story.
- The proposal should highlight what’s new and significant about the story, why it matters, and what its potential impact might be.
- In your proposal, show where significant stories on the subject have been published and how your story would be different.
- Your application should include a brief outline or a reporting plan/timeline for completing the story.
- Get your three journalism samples ready. Each previously published story sample should show your ability to tackle an in-depth story in the proposed medium.
- You must provide an up-to-date resume. Although references are not required at the time of application, selected finalists will be required to provide references from two editors or others familiar with their work.
When to applyThe application deadline is October 13. Click HERE to begin the process.
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism offers financial grants and editorial support to journalists with impactful business-related story ideas.
This fellowship provides up to $15,000 per project, depending on its complexity and expenses. It is not a residency, so journalists will work from their own office, and funding can be used for living expenses for freelancers.
Applicants must submit a three-page pitch outlining the story's significance, proposed impact, and how it differs from previous stories on the topic.
The fellowship is open to journalists with at least five years of experience, including freelancers and those associated with news organizations.
The application deadline is October 13, and further details can be accessed on the McGraw Center's website.
