Photos by Tracey Salazar
AJI is a one-of-a-kind institution in Washington: a nonprofit educational organization that is training the political journalists of the future — and has created a new publication to accomplish that goal. Every September, AJI welcomes a cohort of 10 early-career reporters to D.C. for a two-year fellowship. Fellows are paid $60,000 per year to take classes with some of the country’s best journalists and to write for AJI’s publication, NOTUS, where they work alongside a staff of established reporters and editors to cover politics, policy and government.
The AJI Reporting Fellowship…
“offered me the comfort of being able to focus solely on the craft of reporting without the uncertainties of other reporting jobs.”
Calen Razor
2023-2025 AJI Fellow
“is a chance to be sharpened by journalists at the top of the game — an open door to excellence for any who get accepted.”
Ben T.N. Mause
2023-2025 AJI Fellow
“is truly reporting-focused. … We’re building our own beats, sourcing and doing the actual work of reporting — but with a lot of intentional support.”
Claire Heddles
2023-2025 AJI Fellow
“is such an awesome opportunity. … These journalists are spending hours at a time, digging at some of the core tenets and skills of journalism with us.”
John T. Seward
2023-2025 AJI Fellow
AJI: The Backstory
AJI is a nonprofit organization backed by a $20 million grant from Robert Allbritton, the founding publisher of Politico. The institute is staffed by a group of veteran journalists who are committed to improving journalism and democracy. We enrolled our first class of fellows in September 2023 and launched our publication, NOTUS, in January 2024.
Want to know more about our staff? Click here. Want to learn about our current fellows? Click here. Want to read about their AJI experiences? Click here.
Want to know more about AJI’s mission and philosophy? Read on.
We created the AJI Reporting Fellowship because…
Trust in the media is near
an all-time low
Americans’ news consumption has become as divided as our politics. We rely on news outlets and social media feeds that reinforce our own opinions. And journalists are too stuck in legacy thinking to get the news to the people who need it most.
Our newsrooms are
too monolithic
You can’t report fairly on people you don’t understand. But we still have too few reporters with different backgrounds and beliefs.
It’s still too hard
to break in
Reporters used to get on-the-job training in local news, but those opportunities are disappearing fast. Graduate journalism programs don’t offer that practical experience — and they can be prohibitively expensive.
Faculty Spotlight
Tim Alberta
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Fall 2023 Classes:
“How to Report Out and Confirm a Story” & “How to Identify and Maintain Trustworthy Sources”
Wesley Lowery
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Fall 2023 Classes:
“Fairness vs. Objectivity” & “Bringing Yourself to the Work: What Stories Are You Uniquely Positioned to Tell?”
DeNeen L. Brown
Reporter, The Washington Post
Fall 2023 Classes:
“Covering Humans” & “How to Approach an Uncomfortable Assignment”
Josh Dawsey
Reporter, The Washington Post
Fall 2023 Classes:
“How to Get People—Including Powerful Ones—to Talk to You” & “How to Come Up With Story Ideas”
AJI’s Curriculum
The program begins with a four-week immersion course in the practical application of journalism skills, from ethics and newsgathering to writing and distribution. After four weeks, fellows balance ongoing classwork with hands-on experience: reporting and producing stories for NOTUS while honing their skills through seminars, weekly group critiques and staff mentorship. The formal program runs for 18 months, after which fellows are invited to stay for an additional six months as we support them in seeking their next opportunity. By the end of the program, graduates will have the background necessary to cover the inner workings of Washington — and will be ready to take on reporting jobs at the country’s best outlets.
Who is Eligible?
We are looking for applicants of all backgrounds who want to work in journalism; who have a keen interest in policy and politics; and who believe journalism can and should play a critical role in our democracy. Some fellows may be just out of school; others may be looking for a career transition; still others may be working journalists who are early in their careers. A passion for journalism is a prerequisite, but actual journalistic experience is not.
Apply to join the
AJI Class of 2024-26
As an AJI Reporting Fellow, you’ll get an incredible, hands-on education in covering government and politics. You’ll take classes with some of the best reporters and editors in the country. You’ll work with many of these reporters and editors to produce and publish real-world journalism. And did we mention that you’ll get paid? Because you’ll get paid — a stipend of $60,000 per year.
Questions? Read an FAQ about the fellowship here, or email admissions@aji.org.