2026 Press On’s Freedomways Reporting Fellowship for Journalists Committed to Social Justice

Overview:

Press On’s Freedomways Reporting Fellowship returns after an extended hiatus, providing six proficient reporters and storytellers from the South the chance to obtain mentorship and assist for an eight-month digital program. From March to October 2026, fellows will create longform, investigative, or enterprise tales rooted in motion journalism—specializing in a number of the most important social justice points within the South.

This fellowship is impressed by Freedomways, a journal that printed the work of journalists, artists, and thinkers central to the Black freedom motion. As part of this system, fellows will have interaction in mentorship, skill-building, and be empowered to produce high-impact work in collaboration with social actions and frontline communities.

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Focus Areas:
Fellows can be inspired to sort out tales addressing key points dealing with the South, corresponding to:

• Environmental justice
• Reproductive justice
• Trans liberation
• Migrant justice

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Fellowship Benefits

• Mentorship: Receive steerage from skilled journalists, storytellers, and consultants within the discipline.
• Training: Monthly digital periods to improve investigative abilities, enhance storytelling, and be taught the ins and outs of freelancing and community-driven reporting.
• Stipend: $1,000 per 30 days ($8,000 complete) for the period of the fellowship, with further funds accessible for project-related bills.
• Technical Support: Access to sources to assist fellows efficiently pitch their tales to native, regional, or nationwide media companions.

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Who Should Apply:

The Freedomways Reporting Fellowship is aimed toward journalists who’re dedicated to constructing energy inside marginalized communities. Applicants are inspired from the next classes:

• Community Media: Those affiliated with neighborhood, nonprofit, or rural media retailers, together with worker-owned publications or collectives.
• Storytellers: Writers, essayists, and inventive nonfiction writers contributing to social justice actions.
• Freelance Journalists: Independent reporters trying to deepen their protection of native points.
• Mid-Career Journalists: Reporters transitioning from legacy information organizations to impartial, community-driven journalism.

Applications from the next areas are prioritized: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico. Applicants with sturdy connections to the South, whether or not by previous residence or reporting focus, are additionally inspired to apply

Press On seeks to empower BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, disabled reporters, and people from rural communities.

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Fellowship Requirements

• Develop a narrative pitch and reporting plan targeted on area people wants.
• Attend month-to-month check-ins with mentors and the Freedomways coordinator.
• Participate in a mixture of necessary and non-obligatory trainings on pitching tales, crafting narratives, and investigative reporting.
• Develop an engagement plan to improve the affect of your reporting.
• Publish one longform story throughout the fellowship interval.

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Important Dates

• November 12, 2025: Informational webinar at 1 p.m. ET (Optional)
• December 1, 2025: Application deadline
• March 11, 2026 – October 7, 2026: Fellowship dates
• March 11, 2026: 2-hour digital orientation
• Monthly: Mandatory conferences/trainings on varied dates (March – September)
• June 3, 2026: Mid-program check-in
• October 7, 2026: Fellowship celebration and brief shows of printed tales

 

How to Apply: Click Here

 

For extra alternatives: Click Here

 

 

 

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