Pulitzer Center AI Accountability Fellowships 2024-2025 (up to $20,000)

The Al Accountability Fellowships seek to support journalists working on in-depth AI accountability stories that examine governments’ and corporations’ uses of predictive and surveillance technologies to guide decisions in policing, medicine, social welfare, the criminal justice system, hiring, and more.

Program Overview

Pulitzer Center seeks to support journalists and newsrooms that represent the diversity of the communities impacted by AI technologies. The Fellowship is designed for reporters from all beats, desks, and formats who want to broaden, deepen, and diversify reporting on artificial intelligence with an accountability lens.

Journalists need to apply with a reporting project they wish to pursue during their Fellowship. They encourage enterprise and accountability projects that use a variety of approaches—including data analysis, records requests, and shoe-leather reporting—to delve into the real-world impact of algorithms on policy, individuals, and communities.

In its first year, the Fellowship supported 10 Fellows reporting in 10 countries. The 2022 cohort of AI Accountability Fellows reported on themes crucial to equity and human rights, such as the impact of AI on the gig economy, social welfare, policing, migration, and border control.

While they welcome projects on a broad range of issues, this year they are also placing special emphasis on certain topics. They are seeking to support at least one project on transparency and governance in relation to AI. This includes projects that follow the money across borders; shed light on opaque and harmful AI supply chains; or report on legislation, business practices, and organizations that exacerbate the lack of accountability and transparency of AI systems.

Benefits of Accountability Fellowships

• The opportunity to work on an urgent, underreported issue for a substantial period of time.
• Access to mentors and specialized training opportunities.
• Pro bono legal and public records access support.
• A community of like-minded colleagues that will continue beyond your Fellowship.
• Financial support, up to $20,000 divided in three payments, to cover records requests, travel expenses, data analysis, and stipends.
• The opportunity to find strong collaborators for your project or future projects.

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Eligibility for Accountability Fellowships

• Staff or freelance journalists working on a wide range of platforms, including print, radio, video, and multimedia.
• Team players with the experience and/or ability to work collaboratively across newsrooms and borders.
• Reporters with a deep interest in how AI impacts the world, and why this issue matters to our global well-being.
• Reporters willing to participate in outreach activities related to their investigations, such as events at schools and universities.
• Reporters can be based anywhere. The Fellowships are remote.

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Application

To apply, you will be asked to submit the following:

• A short statement of purpose: how this Fellowship fits in your career path and why you are best positioned to be an Al Accountability Fellow. (500 words)
• A detailed description of the reporting project you seek to pursue during your Fellowship. Do not propose general themes but propose a concrete project that shows some pre-reporting on the subject. A compelling, well-researched project proposal with a reporting plan will help you stand out among dozens of applicants. (500 words)
• A budget that lays out anticipated costs of the project. Categories may include records requests, software, data analysis, travel and lodging, and stipends.
• Three examples (links) of your best stories published in the past three years (not necessarily on artificial intelligence).
• A letter of commitment or interest from a media organization(s) that would publish your story(ies). If you are a staff reporter, a signed letter from your editor or newsroom manager confirming you have their support in applying for the AI Accountability Fellowship. This letter should explicitly state that your newsroom will allocate time for you to participate in the Fellowship activities and the newsroom will support publishing the stories you produce through this Fellowship. It can also include information on why your manager thinks you would be suited for this Fellowship.
• Three professional references: These can be either contact information or letters of recommendation.
• A copy of your resume or curriculum vitae.

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