Details

Fellowship Highlights

-US$10,000 stipend (for U.S. fellows)

-No relocation necessary

-Great flexibility

-Training and networking opportunities

-Attend virtual Learning Lab during the beginning and end of the fellowship year. *Previously, fellows attended training at The Carter Center. Training will remain virtual due to Covid-19 until further notice.

-Access to experts and resources in the mental health and journalism fields

Every year, eight U.S. journalists are selected and awarded stipends of $10,000 each to cover fellowship project expenses. Selected international journalists are awarded a comparable stipend. If you apply as a team, the total stipend will be divided evenly among the team.

Fellows select an advisor from the Journalism Fellowship Advisory Board to be mentored for the duration of the fellowship year. Fellows are encouraged to select an advisor or advisors based on the topic of their fellowship project and the advisor’s area of expertise. All fellows are required to establish learning objectives, a method and frequency of communication with their advisor, and provide updates to fellowship staff on their progress.

Fellows also have opportunities to connect in person with their cohort and with members of the Carter Center Mental Health Task Force. Fellows have total journalistic independence. The fellowship only requires that fellows report accurately, use appropriate language for reporting on mental health, and are transparent in their published project about The Carter Center’s support.

This is a non-residential fellowship and fellows have a great deal of flexibility to work on their project during the year. They make two expense-paid visits to The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia, both in September at the beginning and end of the fellowship year. During the first visit, fellows undergo intensive training in mental health reporting, meet with Journalism Fellowship Advisory Board members, Mental Health Task Force members, and other fellows to discuss their project plans. At the second visit, fellows present their completed projects and discuss challenges and successes in mental health reporting. Each meeting lasts three days.

Fellows' Projects

Fellows are encouraged to select topics that are unique and creative. Projects may educate the public, raise awareness, explore solutions, and inform other journalists. The Carter Center provides resources through its network of over 220 fellows, scientific, health care, education, consumer, family, provider, and government agencies.

Fellowships are tailored to suit the needs, interests, and experiences of each fellow. They also help educate the public on mental health and generate information that could benefit the field of mental health and inform policy. The program encourages fellows to conduct a training session related to mental health and journalism for their peers during the fellowship year to help spread the knowledge they have gained. Training can be in a variety of formats, including brown bag lunches, seminars, or panels. At the end of the fellowship year, fellows also have the opportunity to serve as mentors to other incoming fellows and non-fellow journalists reporting on mental health.