JSK names 16 journalism fellows for 2025-26

The John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University has awarded 16 journalists JSK Journalism Fellowships for the 2025-26 academic year. 

They will spend September through next May together at Stanford, pursuing individual projects as well as exploring opportunities for collective action that responds to accelerating threats to freedom of news and information.

Ten U.S. and six international journalists comprise the new cohort. They reflect many dimensions of diversity – from their professional experiences to the sizes and types of news and journalism support organizations where they currently work to their personal backgrounds and interests. Broadly speaking, these fellows have demonstrated a commitment to doing journalism that is independent and inclusive.

“We are excited by the range of talented journalists and innovators who will be coming together to make up the JSK Class of 2026: nonprofit founders, editors, photojournalists, data reporters, investigative journalists and product developers who come from 7 countries, including the U.S.,” said JSK Director Dawn Garcia. “The initiative they have already shown in their careers position them to use their fellowship year to grow as journalism leaders and become change agents to meet the urgent needs of the journalism ecosystem.”

The fellows will document their work publicly throughout the year, highlighting insights gained through the JSK program’s explore + experiment + refine learning framework. Fellows will also receive individual coaching from the JSK program directors, participate in leadership workshops, sit in on Stanford classes and have access to the university’s world-class faculty and research institutes.

The international fellows will come to Stanford from São Paulo, Brazil; Hong Kong, China; Amman, Jordan; Nairobi, Kenya; Amsterdam, Netherlands and Karachi, Pakistan.

The Class of 2025-2026 joins a thriving JSK community. More than 1,000 people from over 80 countries have participated in journalism fellowships at Stanford since the program first began in 1966. JSK provides fellows with several benefits, including a stipend of $130,000 and Stanford health insurance for fellows, spouses and children. 

The U.S. Fellows were selected by the JSK Selection Committee, a group of Stanford faculty, staff and journalists, following initial screening and review by a group of JSK alumni and the fellowship directors. The selection committee members are: Adam Banks, professor, faculty director, Program in Writing and Rhetoric and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Stanford University; Sara Catania, president, Solutions Journalism Network; Dawn Garcia, JSK director, Stanford University; Tonya Mosley, co-host, Fresh Air and host and executive producer, Truth Be Told; Marcia Parker, vice president, philanthropic partnerships, The New York Times; Cheryl Phillips, Hearst Professional in Residence, director, Big Local News, Stanford University and Ricardo Sandoval-Palos, public editor, Public Broadcasting Service.

JSK Journalism Fellows, Class of 2026