Tarbell Fellowship 2027–2028 for AI Journalism

The Tarbell Fellowship is a full-time, 12-month programme for journalists and artificial intelligence subject-matter experts who want to report rigorously on AI and its effects on society. The 2027–2028 fellowship begins with a three-month remote course in AI and journalism fundamentals from 7 June to 6 August 2027. Fellows then attend a week-long in-person summit, provisionally scheduled for 16–20 August 2027, before completing a nine-month newsroom placement from September 2027 to May 2028. Previous host newsrooms have included CBS News, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, MIT Technology Review and TIME. Regular fellows receive salaries ranging from US$75,000 to US$120,000, depending on professional experience and the cost of living in the placement city. Senior fellows receive US$115,000 to US$135,000. Travel and accommodation for the fellowship summit are fully covered. The programme is hybrid. The training is remote, the summit is in person, and newsroom placements may be in person, hybrid or remote according to the host newsroom. As of September 2026, partner newsrooms were based in Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Applications close on 22 November 2026. The organiser has not stated a closing time or timezone, so candidates should apply early. The selection process includes the application and writing samples, a three-to-five-hour work test in late December or early January, interviews with Tarbell and potential newsrooms between January and March, and final selection in late March 2027.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old by 7 June 2027 and should have relevant experience or expertise in journalism or artificial intelligence. The fellowship looks for strong writing, curiosity, persistence, open-mindedness and a genuine interest in both journalism and AI. A university degree is not required. The fellowship is primarily geared towards applicants who already have the right to work in partner newsrooms in the United States, United Kingdom or Hong Kong. Visa sponsorship may sometimes be possible, but the organiser states that it is uncommon and requires approval from the partner newsroom. The programme requires a full-time commitment from June 2027 to May 2028 and should not be combined with a graduate degree or another training programme. Senior fellowship consideration is automatic for applicants with at least seven years of relevant experience and a strong record of achievement in journalism or AI. Applicants must submit a CV, short written responses and one to three writing samples with a combined maximum of 4,500 words. At least one sample must be prose, such as a news article, blog post or essay. AI must not be used to draft any part of the application; the organiser says AI-generated writing samples will lead to disqualification.