The Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission invites practicing journalists to apply for a two-week Study Tour in the U.S. This program aims at building skills, knowledge, as well as awareness related to reporting on complex issues.

Journalists Study Tour Highlights

• Travel to several locations in and around Washington D.C. as well as New York City
• Custom professional workshops delivered by Poynter Institute for Media Studies
• Also, Meetings and discussions with experienced journalists and media representatives who have relevant experience and portfolios
• Visits to media organizations of interest
• Workshop on Issues in Science Reporting, with the Executive Editor of Herald Community Newspapers group
• In addition, visits, and discussions with practitioners and representatives from:
  • ProPublica
  • PBS-Public Broadcasting Service
  • Vox
  • Washington Post
  • International Center for Journalists
  • Solutions Journalism Network
  • Poynter Institute for Media Studies
  • New York University’s Carter School of Journalism

Eligibility

• Practicing journalists with a minimum of 1 year of professional journalism experience in any type of media
• Journalists from Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, and the Slovak Republic are eligible to apply.
• Also, applicants with English command at a minimum B2 level can apply.
• Applicants with strong professional background in the field demonstrated through recent work samples
• However, preference is given to journalists focusing on science reporting, public health, economics, and other data-heavy fields.

Program Objectives

• acquaint participants with the scope of explanatory journalism in the U.S., offering tools and strategies for developing such stories in a fact-based, ethical way
• learn about and discuss issues related to countering disinformation, oversimplification, and ethical concerns surrounding complex topics
• also, reflect upon relevant U.S. best practices and have the chance to work with counterparts in U.S. institutions to hone skills for evidence-based quality journalism
• encounter relevant knowledge from other disciplines about how users absorb complex subjects and to experiment with different ways of delivering critical background knowledge
• In addition, discuss current challenges in the media landscape as well as become familiar with the latest developments in the field through meetings with acknowledged journalists and representatives of media companies