Introducing The Tab Summer Journalism Fellowship 2017
Applications are open for our remote 2017 Summer Fellowship, The Tab’s official May – August program.
Summer Fellows will write weekly stories for our US site, and can work on the exciting reporting projects we’re running. The 16-week program will run from May 1st – August 18th, with your first piece submitted by May 8th.
Because it’s vacation time, Fellows will have more opportunity to work remotely on stories with our professional editors in New York, who have written for Newsweek, VICE and The Guardian.
To apply, please fill out the application below. Applications are due by 11pm on Sunday, April 30, 2017. If you have any questions, email [email protected].
Summer Fellows will write at least nine stories over the summer. They will take on a range of stories to develop and display their journalistic skills. Fellows are required to submit at least one of each of the following:
• An interview with an expert or interesting person/group
You’ll interview young people with incredible stories, experts, and viral sensations. More often than not it will take a Q&A format, and its purpose is to reveal something original about your interviewee.
• A man on the street asking about an issue affecting your hometown or university community
A man-on-the-street piece involves speaking to 8 or more people, asking them what they think about your chosen topic. You need to get their name and another relevant piece of biographical information (either age or school year), and take a good picture of them.
• An experience piece challenging yourself or trying something you’ve never done before
An experience feature involves writing about a new or interesting thing you are doing for a given period of time – a day, a week etc. It will involve stepping out of your comfort zone and showing your reader through your writing how that feels.
• A news story (it doesn’t have to be from your university, just has to affect young people in some way)
It can be a follow-up to an existing local story in your area, getting in touch with someone whose tweet is going viral – anything that 18-24-year-old Americans will care about.
• A guide feature for your university that we’ll teach you how to SEO
A guide feature involves explaining something to your reader that they don’t know about, in an entertaining and engaging way. It should answer a question that people commonly search about your university – ‘what’s the best dorms at NYU?’ ‘Who is the Chancellor of UC Berkeley’ etc.
• Four other stories of your choice
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of this program?
Those who complete the Summer Fellowship will be eligible for the benefits reserved for our top contributors, including:
• Eligibility and preference for our winter/spring internship program, which are only open to Summer Fellows and Campus Editors
• The opportunity to shadow senior editors in our New York headquarters
• A named listing on our Summer Fellows site
• Skill endorsements on LinkedIn
• Portfolio development and writing improvement
• A paid trip to come work in our NYC headquarters for the best summer writer and the person who writes the most stories
Is this Fellowship in New York?
The Tab Summer Fellowship is “an internship from the beach” – meaning it’s totally virtual and you’ll be working remotely. You can write for us from your bed, by the pool, on a cross-country road trip, while you’re studying abroad, or wherever you have wifi.
How different is the Fellowship from writing during the academic year?
Because it’s vacation time, you will have more direct contact with your editor – the Fellowship has a special focus on educating writers and reporters. You’ll also be able to work on more in-depth stories and projects.
What if I can’t commit to the full summer?
Every Fellow will be required to write at least nine stories throughout the summer. How you spread out these stories doesn’t matter to us – you can write three a week for three weeks, or one a week for the first nine weeks. (Of course, you want to aim to have at least one story published every two weeks.)
Can I apply if I’m interning in The Tab’s office this summer?
Yes! Reporters who have been accepted to our Summer Internship program can still apply for the Fellowship.
Can I apply if I’ve never written for The Tab before?
Definitely. This is an opportunity for you to have more experience writing Tab-style news and features, and we’re looking forward to helping you grow as a writer.
Can I do this if I’m a graduating senior?
Absolutely! We’d love to hear your musings on post-grad life, and help build your digital portfolio.