Funding

Salary

Fellowship•Remote

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship

The 19th

Application Deadline

Closed · March 20, 2026

Reopens ~Mar 2027

Official Page

The 19th is an independent nonprofit newsroom founded in 2020 that reports on gender, politics, policy and power. Its Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship places five people who studied at a Historically Black College or University into salaried, year-long roles inside the newsroom. The 2026-27 cohort covers four tracks: two reporting fellows, one audience engagement fellow, one news product fellow and one development fellow, the last of these added for the first time since the program launched in 2022.

Fellows work remotely from anywhere in the United States and meet in person at four retreats across the year. The fellowship is named after Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the abolitionist correspondent, orator and writer often called the mother of African American journalism. The fifth cohort is expected to start in September 2026.

Benefits & funding

  • Salary of USD 75,000 for the year, paid as a full-time employee
  • USD 1,500 merit bonus midway through the fellowship
  • USD 1,000 professional development stipend
  • USD 480 work-from-home stipend and USD 480 wellness stipend, USD 960 in total
  • USD 100 a month towards a coworking membership, optional
  • An Apple MacBook, which fellows keep afterwards
  • Access to the fellowship hardship fund, up to USD 5,000 per fellow
  • Membership of the National Association of Black Journalists and attendance at its annual convention
  • A mentor in the fellow’s track through the Digital Women Leaders network, and support from URL Media in finding the next journalism role
  • 20 vacation days, 10 sick days and 6 personal days
  • Health, dental and vision insurance covered 100 percent for the employee and 60 percent for dependents; paid family leave at full pay for up to six months; 401(k) matching up to 3.5 percent on a 6 percent contribution; disability and life insurance
  • Travel to the four retreats and to the NABJ convention is covered. Relocation assistance is not provided.

Eligibility

  • Attendance at an HBCU for at least two years is required, with no exceptions
  • Applicants must fit one of these profiles: a recent graduate within two years of graduating; an early-career alum with three to four years of experience; a mid-career alum with five to ten years of experience; a graduating senior whose graduation date falls before the anticipated September 2026 start; or someone who attended an HBCU for at least two years and then transferred or did not graduate
  • Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. Citizenship or permanent residency is not; F-1 students may qualify through Optional Practical Training
  • Fellows may live anywhere in the United States, as all roles are remote
  • Some relevant experience or applicable skills in the chosen track
  • A clear, articulated intention to build a long-term career in journalism

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

  • Residence required

    USA

  • Education required

    Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor

  • Experience required

    ≤ 10 yrs

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Application process

  1. 1
    Choose one track. Fellows stay in the track they are selected for and cannot switch during the year.
  2. 2
    Write a cover letter of 500 words or fewer explaining why you want to work at The 19th.
  3. 3
    Prepare a résumé and a set of relevant work samples.
  4. 4
    Submit the application through the fellowship page during the annual window. The 2026-27 window ran from 3 February to 20 March 2026.
  5. 5
    Send any questions to jobs@19thnews.org.
  6. 6
    Selected fellows commit to the full year and join the newsroom at the start of the fellowship year.

Program timeline

  1. Applications open for the 2026-27 cohort

    Feb 3, 2026

  2. Online information session, Inside the Fellowship

    Mar 10, 2026

  3. Application deadline

    Mar 20, 2026

  4. Fellowship year begins, opening retreat in the fall

    September 2026 (anticipated)

  5. Midyear retreat in Philadelphia

    Early spring 2027

  6. All-staff retreat

    Late spring 2027

  7. Closing celebration and end of the fellowship year

    Fall 2027

  8. The 19th has not published dates for the 2027-28 cycle. The 2026-27 call opened in early February 2026.

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