The Tarbell Fellowship is a one-year program from the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism for journalists who want to cover artificial intelligence and its effects on society. Fellows begin with a 10-week remote course on AI and journalism fundamentals, gather for a weeklong summit in the San Francisco Bay Area, then spend nine months embedded as a reporter in a major newsroom — past partners include Bloomberg, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, NBC News and The Verge.
Standard Fellows are paid a salary; those with five or more years of experience are considered for a higher-paid Senior Fellowship. The program is open to rising journalism talent from around the world.
Benefits & funding
- Salary of $60,000–$80,000 for Standard Fellows, depending on location; $90,000–$110,000 for Senior Fellows (5+ years’ experience)
- Nine-month placement as an embedded reporter in a major newsroom
- 10-week full-time remote course on AI and journalism, with a custom curriculum, guest lectures and graded assignments
- Weeklong journalism summit in the San Francisco Bay Area, with travel and accommodation covered
- Visa support available for some placements
Eligibility
- Open to rising journalism talent from anywhere in the world
- No degree required; no prior professional journalism experience required (student-newspaper or newsroom experience is desirable but not necessary)
- No age limit
- A deep interest in AI and its effect on society
- Some newsroom placements require the right to work in the U.S. or U.K.; visa support is available in some cases
- Senior Fellowship: at least five years of full-time experience in journalism, or in AI (technical research, policy or governance); all applicants are automatically considered
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Submit the application with one to three writing samples (up to 4,500 words combined, at least one prose piece). Takes under 60 minutes.
- 2Complete a work test (about 2–4 hours) if shortlisted.
- 3Interview (about 2–4 hours) with the selection team.
Program timeline
Applications open
Nov 12, 2025
Application deadline
Jan 7, 2026
2026-01 to 2026-02
Work test (late January to early February)
Interviews
2026-03
Fellows selected
2026-04
10-week training begins
Jun 8, 2026
Journalism summit (San Francisco Bay Area)
Aug 17, 2026 to Aug 21, 2026
Newsroom placements begin
2026-09
Program ends
May 31, 2027