The 19th launches applications for fifth Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowship cohort – plus, a new track

The 19th is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2026-27 cohort of the Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowships — a transformative opportunity for alums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to gain additional journalism experience, mentorship and a pathway to leadership.

Named for the “mother of African American journalism,” the Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowships provide recent graduates and mid-career alums of HBCUs with yearlong, salaried roles with full benefits in reporting, audience engagement, news product and development. 

This year, the program opens a new track for the first time since its 2022 launch. As nonprofit journalism increasingly depends on diversified funding to sustain independent reporting, The 19th identified development as a critical — and historically underrepresented — career pathway in news. 

The new track is designed to expand who participates in shaping how journalism is funded, while equipping fellows with hands-on experience in fundraising strategy, donor engagement and the business side of nonprofit journalism. Fellows will gain a deeper understanding of how strong development practices support editorial independence and long-term newsroom sustainability.

“By adding a development track, we’re opening doors to a critical part of the news ecosystem and creating new pathways for HBCU alumni to lead, not just in what stories get told, but in how independent, inclusive journalism endures,” said Kari Cobham, The 19th’s director of fellowships and an alum of Bethune-Cookman University.

The annual fellows cohort will remain at five fellows, with two reporting fellows and one fellow each in audience engagement, news product and development.

Reporting fellows cover issues through the lens of gender, politics and policy. The audience fellow connects our journalism to readers, while the news product fellow builds digital tools and products that support The 19th’s journalism and help us reach new audiences. 

This will be the fellowship’s fifth cohort, which includes graduates of Bennett and Spelman colleges; Morehouse School of Medicine; and Alabama A&M, Clark Atlanta, Dillard, Florida A&M, Howard, North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T, Savannah State and Xavier universities.

See the work of 2024/25, 2023/24 and 2022/23 fellows.

Fellowship alums have gone on to land competitive roles at The Marshall Project, The Trace, The Baltimore Banner, URL Media and Nonprofit Quarterly.

The program was initially funded with a $3.8 million gift from Michelle Mercer and Bruce Golden and centers on-the-job experience, mentorship, professional development and preparing for fellows’ next career move.  

Highlights of the Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Fellowships:

• This annual journalism fellowship for five HBCU alums includes reporting, audience engagement, news product and development fellows.
• Fellows are fully remote and receive an annual salary of $75,000 and full-time employee benefits, including health insurance, generous paid leave, a 19th expense account and 401(k).
• Fellowship-specific benefits include a merit bonus, an Apple Macbook laptop and membership to the National Association of Black Journalists.
• Fellows participate in workshops throughout the year on topics like coping with trauma and burnout, networking, salary negotiation, refreshing résumés and portfolios, insights from hiring managers, mental wellness and financial literacy.
• Fellows attend four in-person retreats and network with hiring managers in journalism throughout the year.
• Fellows receive mentorship in their fellowship track through the Digital Women Leaders network.
• Fellows are supported by URL Media in their search for post-fellowship job opportunities.

For more details on the program, who is eligible to apply and frequently asked questions, see the fellowship overview. Applications for the 2026/27 fellowship cohort close March 20, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to join this life-changing program and shape the future of journalism.