Newhouse fellowship

Hello everyone, I have recently found a minority journalism fellowship at Syracuse. You get a full ride through the newspaper masters program at Syracuse, an internship at the Post Standard while you're taking classes and then work another year at the Post Standard or any other Newhouse newspaper. I would like to know if anyone has heard about this? If so, do they know anyone that went through it? Also, with practical experiance being more important then classroom work, would it be to my advantage to go through this program or continue to look for entry level job?

 

You're a winner either way GFav.

 

Don't take this the wrong way. . .

If you are a minority, and you have decent clips already, you're a fool if you go to grad school for journalism.

If you really feel grad school is right for you, go for something non-communications related.

Creative writing, history, psychology. . .shit, get your MBA.

Right now, the only thing worse than spending a year getting paid for an entry-level job in journalism is spending a year not getting paid for an entry level job in journalism, yet still pigeon-holing yourself into a journalism career.

If you know this is what you want to do, you won't have any problems getting interviews for some of the more decent employers that would consider hiring a recent college grad, asssuming you have decent clips.

But honestly, if I was in your position, I'd get a grad degree that will be worth something if 1) I decided the industry wasn't for me, or, 2) the industry goes - read: continues to go - into the shitter.

I guess what I'm trying to say is if you're a minority, and you have decent enough clips to get this fellowship, taking part in the program won't help your career at all.

But I'd seriously conisder getting a degree in something other than journalism. At worst, it gives you more options down the road.

 

Um, let me answer it this way. Are women still considered minorities? If they are, I'm joining our new friend at the Post.

 

Im not sure. But its worth a shot to see if women are. How is the Post Standard anyway? Is it a good newspaper? I already know up here folks have said that the daily orange is a good newspaper.

 

Daily Orange is generally recognized as a fine college fishwrapper.

The Post is pretty good. There are some pretty cool people who work there.

 

Pete Thamel, a great reporter IMO at The New York Times, worked at the Post-Standard as well.

 

The Post-Standard is pretty damn good for its size. It's Newhouse-owned (hence the thread) and hasn't endured the bleeding so many papers have. It regularly breaks big statewide stories and cleans up in the NY state awards, midsized division, against strong competition from Albany, Middletown, etc.

 

They just lost a ton of experienced staff that took buyouts and they changed a lot of beats, news and sports.
A regional bureau chief is the outdoors writer, the baseball writer is a metro writer now.

 

This is not sound advice. Not at all.
Neiman and Newhouse Fellows do very well and are heavily recruited by the N.Y. Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times.
If you want to be a journalist -- not necessarily a sports journalist -- these fellowships can be a wonderful stepping stone.
To discount such programs (there are others), would be jejune and would come from someone not aware of recruiting and hiring at the higher levels of the industry.

 

daemon, then I must be a fool because I was doing an honours program at school (am planning to resume it next year).

I know several people who did not have decent clips, but had excellent work from their J School Program and had no problem getting employed in any medium. In my area, you basically cannot get into a broadcast or main newsprint place without a J school degree and if you have honours/masters even better chances.

The Post Standard is a very reputable paper. I have a dear friend who is originally from Syracuse who went to school while doing internships in the city. They hired him his last year of school while he was taking classes.

GFav, if you give me a day or two, I can ask my buddy from there about it. He is from the area and is knowledgeable about the Post and the Newhouse fellowship.

 

I wanted to join the discussion just to clear up a few things about the Newhouse Fellowship program.

I've worked here at the Syracuse Post-Standard for many years and I've seen a number of people come through our newsroom thanks to this program.

The Fellowship offers a full-ride in the magazine/newspaper/online master's program at Syracuse University. I believe it's a one-and-a-half year program. You get a paid internship at the Post-Standard for the last year of the program. After graduating in December, you are guaranteed a one-year paid position at a Newhouse paper.

The Fellowship is for minorities, but most importantly, it's for people who have little to no journalism background. No one with an undergraduate journalism degree is considered.

Basically, it's a great kick-start to a career in journalism.

They accept two people per year and usually receive about 60-80 applications.

Here's the kicker. Many finalists who don't win the fellowship still receive scholarship offers from Syracuse University or the Newhouse School. These finalists often work part-time for us at the Post-Standard and gain valuable experience.

This is a great way to break into journalism for someone who wants a career change or a recent college graduate who has decided that their intended career isn't for them.

Contact Professor Nancy Sharp at Syracuse University.