Ambassador FAQ

The JSK Ambassador Program supports alumni who want to represent JSK at journalism and media conferences that the program cannot attend. We are looking for alumni who are enthusiastic advocates of the fellowship and who are willing to network on our behalf. 

The program has three goals:

• Support alumni who want to attend conferences but may not otherwise have the resources to do so, and it would be beneficial to their careers and for finding new work.
• Showcase JSK alumni and strengthen connections across the journalism community.
• Expand the reach of JSK by identifying potential candidates for future fellowships.

Alumni apply by filling out a simple application that gathers details about the conference and why they want to attend. Please email jskalumni@stanford.edu for the application form.

Selected ambassadors will attend a brief pre-conference Zoom meeting where we will:

• Share updates about the program.
• Review expectations for ambassadors.
• Answer questions.

Please apply at least two months before the conference. This will give us enough time to make a decision and process the stipend.

Priority will be given to alumni looking for work, those working independently or who have been accepted to present at the conference. We want alumni who will be enthusiastic representatives of the program and who are willing to network on our behalf. Alums are eligible to be selected as a JSK Ambassador for one conference a year.

The primary focus of the conference must be journalism or media. It must also align with fellowship goals and not be for those working in public relations, producing in-house communications, employees of government agencies or full-time academics, and while we value alums now working in those areas, related conferences do not meet our criteria.

The conference should also be one that JSK does not currently plan on attending. JSK staff usually attends: ONA, IRE, NICAR and The International Journalism Festival in Perugia. 

We will give alumni a stipend of up to $1,000 for domestic conferences and up to $2,000 for international conferences. We will not collect receipts nor arrange your travel. 

We will require each ambassador to collect names and contact information for people they meet who are interested in the program and show good potential to become fellows. When possible, we will ask that your nametag reflect that you are a JSK Ambassador, and share photos from the conference in JSK alumni groups (WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook), and social media.