Point Park University's Center for Media Innovation

Center for Media Innovation’s $20,000 media fellowship returns: APPLY NOW! 

The Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University is excited to announce the return of its $20,000 Doris O’Donnell Innovations in Investigative Journalism Fellowship. This marks the third year of the fellowship, which was designed to spotlight and take on the growing problem of underserved media markets known as news deserts. The Center also will award second- and third-place prizes of $5,000 and $2,500. The fellowship is made possible through a three-year grant from the Allegheny Foundation. Applications will be accepted from journalists and media outlets nationwide.

The fellowship winner will have eight months to report and publish or broadcast a final story or series of stories. In addition, the honoree will be required to come to Point Park University’s Downtown Pittsburgh campus to present their findings and to work with students.

A panel of six distinguished judges with credentials in cutting-edge investigative journalism will evaluate applicants based on value, innovation, engagement, diversity and ability. That panel includes:

• Brad Bumsted, bureau chief of The Caucus, a watchdog publication based in Pennsylvania that focuses on state issues
• Andrew Fraser, senior publishing editor for The Wall Street Journal
• Jasmine Goldband, photo editor for the Houston Chronicle
• Amber Hunt, investigative reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer and host of the podcasts Accused and Crimes of the Centuries
• Tory Parrish, business reporter for Newsday in New York
• Guy Wathen, multimedia editor for the San Francisco Chronicle

“As technology continues to disrupt local journalism across the United States, we need to support the people still doing original enterprise reporting,” said Andrew Conte, director of the Center. “The O’Donnell fellowship seeks to not only give resources to individual journalists but also to inspire others to continue this important work.”

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MARCH 30, 2022. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN APRIL 2022.

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