The Joan Shorenstein Fellowship Program is an opportunity for highly qualified candidates to earn their Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard Kennedy School and gain relevant experience in the media industry at one of the most influential news organizations in the world. The fellowship was established to honor the legacy of Shorenstein Center director Joan Shorenstein, who passed away in 1999. The fellowship welcomes applicants from all over the world, but applicants must be approved by the Shorenstein Center and chosen by the Board of Directors at The Washington Post Company.
What is Joan Shorenstein Fellowship Program?
The Joan Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy brings together journalists, media executives, and policymakers to explore how politics is covered by news organizations in a changing political, technological, and economic environment.
We serve as a venue for comparing experiences and ideas across diverse perspectives. The center was created in 1996 at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to honor former journalist Joan Shorenstein, who served as its founding director until 2001. Its first major program was The Third Century Project, a $200 million effort that examined long-term challenges facing U.S. journalism over the next 50 years.
What we do
Every year, The Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy, at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), welcomes between five and eight journalists or communicators in residence. With a mix of advanced research and practical training, our program focuses on how people communicate with each other about issues of public importance and how news organizations serve communities across media platforms.
Fellows must be working journalists or communications professionals interested in understanding policymaking, government performance and national affairs from a variety of angles. These include examining real-world controversies like partisanship; money’s role in politics; transparency in reporting; social media’s effects on communication; climate change communications; even sports controversies like concussions.
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How to apply for Joan Shorenstein Fellowship Program
Applications for future class years will open in late 2020. Please check back for more information. This fellowship is intended for those interested in a career in journalism and public policy.
To apply, you must be available to start your fellowship during June 2024 or September 2024, and make sure that you have submitted a current resume by our December 1 deadline (which is one year before each of these classes begins). You can find additional application requirements on our website. If you have any questions, please send an email to jshorenstein@hks.harvard.edu with MSF Questions as your subject line or call us at 617-496-0696 x 2682.
Contact us
- Ms. Samantha Brown, Joan Shorenstein Fellow Administrator Phone: (202) 368-9501
Good Luck for your fellowship application.
