The Fund for American Studies launches new Journalism Excellence Fellowship Program

At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and trust in journalism is on the decline, it’s more important than ever that we provide meaningful career opportunities for rising journalists who approach opinion writing with intellectual honesty, moral seriousness, and a commitment to truth.”

Ryan Wolfe, director of the TFAS Center for Excellence in Journalism

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is pleased to announce the creation of the Journalism Excellence Fellowship, a new program that will provide promising young journalists the opportunity to work alongside top writers, reporters and media professionals at leading news outlets. TFAS is launching the new Journalism Excellence Fellowship Program by partnering with two respected publications, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe, which will each host one Fellow on their editorial staffs in 2026.

The Journalism Excellence Fellowship, a program of the TFAS Center for Excellence in Journalism, will create a new pipeline for elite talent to enter the field of journalism, while also providing rising young journalists the opportunity to undertake important work and receive high-level training in reporting and writing at prestigious news publications early in their careers. 

The new Fellowship continues to build on the success of the TFAS Center for Excellence in Journalism and its existing programs to advance the field of journalism, including the Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism, in partnership with The Wall Street Journal; the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship; the Student Journalism Association; the Media Accelerator Fellowship; and the Campus Transparency Fellowship.

“At a time when public debate is increasingly polarized and trust in journalism is on the decline, it’s more important than ever that we provide meaningful career opportunities for rising journalists who approach opinion writing with intellectual honesty, moral seriousness, and a commitment to truth,” said Ryan Wolfe, director of the TFAS Center for Excellence in Journalism. “The Journalism Excellence Fellowship is designed to develop writers who can engage complex issues thoughtfully, challenge prevailing orthodoxies when warranted and contribute original, well-reasoned perspectives to the national conversation. By investing in principled editorial voices early in their careers, we hope to strengthen the quality and credibility of opinion journalism for years to come.”

The selection process for the first class of Fellows is now ongoing. The first class of Journalism Excellence Fellows will begin their Fellowships on the opinion pages of The Washington Post and The Boston Globe in September 2026. TFAS will continue to announce new Journalism Excellence Fellowship partnerships with leading news publications throughout 2026. For more information, visit TFAS.org/JEF.

About The Fund for American Studies:

The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is an educational nonprofit that hosts academic internship programs for undergraduate and law students in Washington, D.C., international academic programs in Europe and South America, programs for high school students and teachers, and fellowships for journalists and public policy professionals. For more information on TFAS programs, visit www.DCinternships.org, www.TFASinternational.org, or www.FTE.org. For general information about TFAS, visit www.TFAS.org.