Connecting young talent with innovative news organisations across Europe

At a time of major political and social upheavals, worsened by a global pandemic, innovation in journalism is more important than ever. In this context, the new generation of digital reporters who will become the leaders of the future news industry, play a vital role.

Because of this, the European Journalism Centre (EJC) is happy to launch the 2021 edition of the Google News Initiative Fellowships; a programme that connects students and recent graduates with innovative news organisations throughout Europe.

This year, there will be 30 paid placements available across 14 European countries: Sweden, Poland, Italy, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Czech Republic, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.

The deadline to apply is 25 April 2021 and the eligibility criteria, as well as the details of all the Fellowship placements available, can be found on our website.

Our mission

The GNI Fellowship’s mission is to develop the next generation of European journalists, media, technology and design experts to drive innovation across the news industry. This programme allows young talent to inform, engage and inspire audiences together with a news organisation that wants to benefit from a fresh perspective.

“The newsroom has brought me rigor and working methods that I will use for the rest of my career. The GNI Fellowship was a life-changing experience that confirmed my desire to work within the fact-checking area. It also was an amazing way into the newsroom.” — Juliette Mansour, Fellow 2020 at AFP Factuel

How does it work?

The Fellows will spend a period of 8 weeks, over summer, in one of the 30 innovative newsrooms that will provide each Fellow with the opportunity to gain a meaningful work experience and build new professional connections. Each Fellow will be accompanied by a mentor who has the expertise to guide them within their particular craft at their host organisation.

The paid summer placements are related to 5 focus areas:

• verification and fact-checking
• multimedia, product and (UX/UI) design
• data journalism & interactives
• business development
• audience engagement

Who can apply?

Students and recent graduates from journalism, media, business, technology and design backgrounds can apply to this programme.

The news industry faces the challenge of improving diversity and inclusion in different stages of the news production cycle. This is why the GNI Fellowship works with a network of newsrooms to boost diversity, address unconscious bias and lower the barriers of access throughout the programme. Therefore, students and recent graduates with diverse backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.

We believe that newsrooms which more accurately reflect the communities they cover produce better journalism. This in turn helps to foster diversity and inclusivity within our society. Diversity, equity and inclusion will therefore be an essential theme throughout the Fellowship program.

“The GNI Fellowship gave me not only the opportunity to work in one of the leading news outlets in Germany, Zeit Online, but also the time to learn more about emerging technologies in the field of data journalism.” — Valentin Peter, Fellow 2020 at Zeit online

How does the selection process work?

Each news organisation indicates what particular skill set and background they require for the Fellow.

Some may prefer candidates who have experience with a web programming language like HTML, CSS or Javascript, while others may prefer a candidate that will research and write stories or look into data to accurately frame public debate.

All news organisations value original talent who are passionate about the craft of reporting and embrace the role that upcoming technologies can play in the future of journalism.

What will happen if you are selected?

Before stepping into the fellowship, the EJC will organise an online bootcamp over the course of three days where they will receive training, tools and hands-on workshops.

Here the Fellows will have the opportunity to immerse themselves, find their seat in a diverse community where they can meet and connect with other Fellows and ask questions to Fellowship alumni. After the bootcamp, together with the Fellowship alumni, the EJC will continue to give support and guidance until the Fellowship ends.

As a Fellow, you will start your Fellowship working at the office, remotely or with a mixed schedule of days working in the newsroom and working from home. During the Fellowship there will be opportunities to work with several staff members over the course of the programme. The Fellow will join team meetings and have regular check-ins with a mentor who will keep the Fellow on track. All the Fellows will be fairly compensated for their work and to help cover expenses.

“My experience with the GNI Fellowship gave me more than I expected. I now feel more secure in myself and what I want the next steps in my career to be.” — Mathilda Kennet, Fellow at Expressen

How can candidates apply?

Visit our website to read the full application requirements, have a look at an overview of all participating newsrooms and apply. The application process will be open until April 25, 23:59 CEST, 2021 and after that, each newsroom will select its fellows.

The GNI Fellowship is powered by the Google News Initiative and managed by the European Journalism Centre