California Local News Fellowship 2026-2028 – YOA

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Applications are open for the California Local News Fellowship 2026 – 2028. The California Local News Fellowship is a multi-12 months, state-funded initiative to strengthen native reporting throughout California. Since 2023, this system has positioned greater than 100 early-profession journalists in newsrooms all through the state for 2-12 months reporting fellowships.

This 12 months, they’re excited to supply alternatives to host two several types of fellows:

• Reporting fellows: They will place 25-30 common reporting fellows in newsrooms across the state. These slots are open to newsrooms which have by no means hosted a California Local News Fellow in addition to returning newsrooms whose fellows have accomplished their time period by September 2026.
• Editing fellows: They are piloting a brand new, one-12 months modifying fellowship in partnership with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education to assist practice and help the subsequent era of editors in California. This pilot cohort will embody 5 modifying fellows and is open to all newsrooms, together with these at the moment internet hosting a reporting fellow.

Eligibility

The fellowship program seeks newsroom candidates from all through the state that:

• Have a powerful monitor file of manufacturing authentic native information protection for his or her communities. 
• Understand and search to fulfill their audiences’ data wants.
• Adhere to skilled journalistic ethics.
• Support variety and inclusion of their organizations. 
• Have a transparent proposal for the man’s function and the way they may help them.

Application

The newsroom application interval runs from November 18 to December 15, 2025. Newsrooms might be chosen in January 2026, adopted by the man application opening in early 2026. Fellows might be chosen by early spring and matched with newsrooms by late spring 2026.

Click here to apply

For extra data, see FAQ and go to California Local News Fellowship.