Anyone who satisfies the following minimum criteria may apply:
- You have at least five years of professional journalism experience. Student journalism does not count.
- You are working full-time as a journalist in Asia. We welcome applicants from Asian media organisations. Freelancers may apply if journalism is your main source of income.
- You are comfortable in spoken and written English, the working language of AJF. Journalists working in non-English media are welcome, but we may ask you to demonstrate your English proficiency.
- If you are employed, obtain your employer’s written agreement to participate in the full eight-week fellowship (four weeks online and four weeks in Singapore).
What we look for in Fellows
The Fellowship is extremely competitive and, regrettably, we have turned down many strong applicants each year. However, there is no single “model” Fellow. We build each cohort with diversity in mind, including countries and communities represented, newsroom contexts, beats, and life experiences.
In general, we are looking for Fellows who have
- Strong journalism and professional standards (e.g. evidence of rigour, fairness, verification habits, and sound judgement, across any format)
- Made professional impact and credibility (e.g. awards or commendations, or through consistent work that makes a difference to audiences and communities)
- Leadership potential and a willingness to contribute (e.g. willing to share openly, learn from one another, and contribute to a respectful cohort environment)
- Curiosity and readiness to engage with tough issues (e.g. grappling with challenges such as AI and its newsroom implications, misinformation and “fake news”)
- Openness to cross-border learning and collaboration (e.g. willingness to engage with other perspectives, and keen to explore ideas that can travel across borders)
Background and media formats
You can be in any news medium – print, radio, television, digital, or multimedia, and practising journalism through writing, audio, photography, or video.
Past Fellows have come from major newsrooms in capital cities as well as provincial, independent, and alternative media, including NGO-linked platforms. What matters most is your passion for journalism, doing the work with integrity, and wanting to grow your impact.