Brief Description:

The MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship 2024 supports freelance and staff journalists associated with U.S. local/regional newsrooms in developing a high-impact news project that reports on how climate change and/or the shift to a low-carbon economy relates to local communities and regions, in a way that centers local messengers, values, and priorities.

Studies show that localizing climate change impacts and actions are effective ways to engage audiences in climate solutions. Yet today, climate journalism is primarily limited to national news outlets. This fellowship helps provide Americans – especially those living in areas where climate change is controversial or underreported – with well-researched reporting on what a shift to a low-carbon economy can mean for them, their communities, and their local economies.

Starting in June 2024, Fellows will participate in a four-month nonresident program that includes:

• A multi-day virtual workshop  where Fellows will connect with MIT climate scientists, earth modeling researchers, political scientists, energy economists, and others;
• Access to an editor to support project structure and packaging;
• Training on using MIT’s extensive library databases, socioeconomic climate analyses, and other resources as requested;
• Twice a month virtual cohort meetings (attendance is expected);
• Republication of the project through MIT and partner channels; and
• Stipends of $10,000 plus up to $5,000 for qualified expenses (ex., travel, multimedia development, hosting an event).

*Workshops will be approx. 3-6 hour virtual sessions over multiple days.

The fellowship supports projects that:

• Report on how climate change and/or the shift to a low-carbon economy relates to their audience’s existing priorities and values;
• Focus on the newsroom’s home county(ies) or state;
• Feature lived experience and local perspectives and voices;
• Clearly indicate the applicant deeply understands their audience and local concerns;
• Are investigative or explanatory;
• Produce a longform feature or a series of a minimum of 4 shorter pieces;
• Will open local conversations about climate change solutions and empower their audience in engaging with this issue; and
• Have received a commitment from a local/regional news outlet to publish the feature.

Who Can Apply

We welcome applications from staff writers of U.S. newsrooms, or freelance journalists who are affiliated with a newsroom, and who want to tackle an ambitious project by themselves, as a newsroom-wide undertaking or as collaboration with other media outlets in their communities.

Newsrooms can include newspapers, news magazines, broadcast stations, digital news outlets, and investigative journalism organizations. Writers employed by or writing for think tanks, lobbying groups, or advocacy groups are not eligible.

We look for applicants with proven journalism experience, proven ability to report and execute a complex project in their proposed medium, and a strong background or reporting experience in the subject.

We are committed to working with rural, hydrocarbon-producing and marginalized communities across the United States and we will ask judges to keep this in mind when selecting Fellowship placements.

Apply here:

Application form