Popular news and entertainment website BuzzFeed is accepting applications for its third annual fellowship program for emerging writers.
The program aims to provide writers with the support, mentorship and experience necessary to “take a transformative step forward in their careers.” The writers selected for fellowships in 2018 will each receive a US$14,000 stipend and spend four months working with the senior editorial staff at the New York City office of BuzzFeed News.
The Buzzfeed Emerging Writers Fellowship is designed to open the gates to writers traditionally locked out of opportunities in the media. When launching the inaugural program in 2015 BuzzFeed’s Executive Editor of Culture Saeed Jones explained “when we expect young writers to get experience via unpaid internships, we’re actually saying we want only wealthy people writing about American culture in an influential way. That’s what we get, right? Or rather, that’s what we’ve gotten used to accepting as normal when in fact, it’s a kind of fiction. Diversity is reality. So, in order to do my part to support being in step with reality, I’m really excited about creating an opportunity for emerging writers to get experience and mentorship while also receiving financial support.”
The selected writers will work on personal essays, cultural reportage and criticism. Participants will “be expected to pitch, report, and write with the added benefit of panel discussions with editors and writers from throughout the industry, and assigned readings.” Examples of work completed by the 2017 fellowship group can be found here.
The successful fellows will start work in these full-time fellowship positions on Monday 5 March, finishing on Friday 29 June.
To apply each writer must supply a resume, three to five writing samples, a statement of purpose and two letters of recommendation. All applicants must be authorised to work in the United States.
Applications for the program close on Monday 4 December 2017 and the selected writers will be notified in late January. For full details and to apply visit the BuzzFeed site.
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