Journalism Stars Win Nieman Foundation Fellowships

Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism announced the 25 recipients of its prestigious fellowships for excellence in journalism Tuesday.

The honor, bestowed annually on mid-career journalists from around the world for their accomplishment and promise, is in its 64th year.

This year’s crop of Nieman fellows included 12 journalists from the United States and 13 international journalists.

Last year, over 200 applicants vied for 25 spots. Fellows, at Harvard for a full academic year, may attend courses in any field they choose and receive a stipend.

The candidates submitted an autobiography that includes work experience and an education plan, and finalists sat for interviews with a panel of journalists, administrators, and faculty.

New fellows said the interview process was particularly stressful.

Elizabeth Chandler, a reporter for the Charlotte Observer and a newly chosen fellow, said, “I would say that the application process for the program was one of the most rigorous personal exercises one can go through.”

Ronnie F. Ramos, another honoree and current managing editor of the Ft. Myers News-Press, said it was strange to be on the receiving end of a tough question.

“It was very different to be on the probed side. I’m definitely more comfortable asking the question,” he said. “It was nerve-wracking to do the interview.”

Award winners said that the fellowship will likely offer them many opportunities for career advancement and personal improvement.

“It’s a chance to be around some really smart folks,” said Bryan Monroe, deputy managing editor of the San Jose Mercury News and one of next year’s Nieman fellows. “I hope that it’ll certainly give me a chance to recharge my batteries a little.”

“It’ll be nice to be around some of the best and brightest journalists,” Chandler said. “People have told me it changes your life—it changes you forever. I can’t imagine that a year off won’t change your view of the world.”

In the past, fellows have sought to broaden their knowledge in areas that they had little prior exposure, and this year’s fellows appear to be following suit.

Monroe said he plans to learn about art history, psychology, music and Afro-American studies to complement his courses on entrepreneurial leadership from the Business School.

Chandler, whose work focuses on the death penalty in the southern United States and who will likely take classes at the Law School, said she also wants to study at the Divinity School and take courses in philosophy and comparative religion, among many other things.

“The truth is that it’s going to be hard to narrow it down,” she said.

—Staff writer Alexander J. Blenkinsopp can be reached at blenkins@fas.harvard.edu.