Harvard Nieman Foundation Selects 22 Journalists as 2026 Fellows

Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism selected 22 journalists from around the world as fellows to study and teach at Harvard for two semesters, the foundation announced on Thursday.

The new cohort features journalists from nine countries who work across print, broadcast, digital, and independent media, spanning roles from reporting and editing to data analysis and audience development.

The fellows will arrive on campus in the fall. They plan to study a range of topics including climate change, war crimes, cryptocurrency, misinformation, immigration and applications of artificial intelligence for newsrooms.

The 2026 fellows include Yousur Al-Hlou, Cindy M. Carcamo, Irene Caselli, Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, Daniel D. Drepper, Kaila Dwinell, James Edwards, Silvia Foster-Frau, Marcela García, Jessica Glenza, Lisa Hagen, Suha Halifa, John Hammontree, Simone Iglesias, Yao Hua Law, Shany Littman, Andrea Marinelli, Shaun Raviv, Sotiris Sideris, Daniel Strauss, Ling Wei, and Wufei Yu.

Since its founding in 1938, the Nieman Foundation has brought more than 1,700 journalists from 100 countries to Harvard. During their two semesters at Harvard, fellows will audit classes across the university, participate in a series of seminars and workshops, and collaborate with both students and faculty at Harvard and MIT. In the past, fellows have also mentored student journalists in The Crimson.

Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation, said in a press release that the foundation is proud to support these journalists, “especially at a time when there is a growing need for fortifying the free press.”

“These fellowships are an investment in their future and evidence of our commitment to strengthening journalism leadership in the U.S. and abroad for nearly nine decades,” she added.

Hammontree, who oversees podcasting for Alabama Media Group, believes that being at Harvard as it faces national attention and scrutiny from the Trump administration will provide a “good opportunity to cement ourselves in the core principles of being a journalist in America.”

“I think there’s no way it won’t affect what we’re learning and what we’re taking away from things,” Hammontree said. “Hopefully it’ll affect it in good ways, and strengthen everyone’s resolve and make it clear how important opportunities like Nieman fellowships are, and how important journalism is.”

Hammontree said he hoped participating in the Nieman Fellows program would give him a global perspective on politics in America.

“I’m excited to meet so many people from this class who have been reporting and telling stories in areas of crisis all around the world. And to hear from them how what’s happening in Massachusetts right now — and what’s happening across the country — how that might compare to what we’re seeing elsewhere around the world right now,” he said.

In an interview with the Crimson, Lipinski said that the White House’s campaign against Harvard “underscores the importance of the work” of both academics and journalists.

“I think journalists are, in discipline, fairly aligned with a lot of people at a research institution like Harvard, in that they’re seeking information, they’re seeking understanding, and they’re seeking to communicate that that work,” she added.

Edwards, a New York-based journalist and podcaster who will explore how theater can be a medium for investigative journalism, said that his project was inspired by watching documentary theater at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge several years ago, making his fellowship a “full circle moment.”

“I remember just watching this play and being blown away by it, and also in the back of my mind thinking ‘I wonder what our project would look like onstage,’” Edwards said.

Carcamo — who most recently wrote for the Los Angeles Times — said that she is honored to have been selected for the fellowship, and that the opportunity is something she has “been wanting to do since I was a cub reporter.”

“I’ve been in journalism for about 25 years, and I remember reading about it when I was starting out, and I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds so cool,’” she said.

Carmaco, who will study how immigration has shaped the American food industry and palate., said that given the fast pace of daily journalism, the fellowship is a chance to “reflect on where I am and where we are in this moment in time and how we got here.”

—Staff writer Ayaan Ahmad can be reached at ayaan.ahmad@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @AyaanAhmad2024.

—Staff writer Graham W. Lee can be reached at graham.lee@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @grahamwonlee.