The John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships supports diverse journalists from around the world who are creating solutions to journalism’s most urgent problems. We focus on helping these journalism leaders succeed as effective change agents, improving the access to information people need to create and sustain democratic communities.
Journalism fellowships at Stanford started in 1966 with a powerful idea: Give journalists broad access to a great university, which would pay off in superb journalism. We grew through the next decades, and in 1984 a $4 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation provided a permanent endowment for the program, which we renamed for John S. Knight, who, with his brother James L. Knight, once operated a company that became the largest newspaper chain in the United States.
The work our fellows do is vital, urgent and demanding. Our goal is to help our fellows develop the leadership resilience this work requires. Through individual coaching, tailored workshops and peer-to-peer learning, the JSK Fellowships helps fellows identify the tools and mindsets needed to effectively lead and navigate change in times of uncertainty.
For the 2021-22 academic year, we are expanding our support of journalism that serves local communities of color by again offering remote Community Impact Fellowships. Community Impact Fellows will focus on practical solutions to address the U.S. journalism industry’s long-standing neglect of communities of color — a failure exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Our team
administrative director
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Alumni voices
Jenée Desmond-Harris
JSK gave me the opportunity to become better at what I do while simultaneously building confidence in the skills I already had.
Aaron Glantz
The year allowed me to go back to the same workplace I’d been in before and achieve new and more far reaching impacts with my journalism.
Michael Grant
My cohort became my tribe. The program helped me tap my voice, and unlocked an entire network of thought leaders and innovators.
Katherine Ann Rowlands
The JSK network alone is an incredible resource but the program prepared us to think bigger, act decisively and work collaboratively.
Lisa Rossi
The experience taught me how we can make a difference in exchanging information. I’m sharing that knowledge to create a more inclusive future.
