The mission of the Joan Shorenstein Fellowship Program is to advance research in the field of media, politics and public policy; facilitate a dialogue among journalists, scholars, policymakers and students; provide an opportunity for reflection; and create a vibrant and long-lasting community of scholars and practitioners. The primary focus for a Fellow is to research, write and publish a paper on a media/politics topic. It is a highly selective program; only a very small percentage of applicants are accepted.
The Center hosts eight one-semester residential fellowships each year (four per semester). Fellows conduct research; engage with students, faculty and the Harvard community; and participate in the various events associated with the Shorenstein Center. Fellows’ research and ideas are presented at weekly research meetings where they discuss and defend their project before a group of peers. Recent projects have been published in the Columbia Journalism Review, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic and Fortune magazine and have been reported on in The New York Times.
Since 1986, the Fellowship Program has brought more than 250 accomplished journalists, scholars and politicians from around the world to the Center. Joan Shorenstein Fellows work closely with Harvard students and often serve as longtime mentors. Past Shorenstein Fellows include TV news anchors; national and international print, radio and television reporters; digital news innovators; presidential media advisors; leading scholars and policy analysts.