2024 Reporting Fellows Attend Virtual Orientation

On June 3, 2024, the Campus Consortium team welcomed the 2024 Reporting Fellows to a week-long virtual orientation. More than 40 students and recent graduates from our campus partners zoomed in from across the world—many meeting each other for the first time. Coming from journalism schools, liberal arts colleges, HBCUs, schools of public health, community colleges, and state universities, they will cover a wide range of issues from migration and the climate crisis to gender and identity. Their reporting will take place in 26 countries from Jordan to Finland, Guyana, Kenya, and the Canary Islands. 

Guidance from Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium Team

Orientation week kicked off with interactive small-group discussions facilitated by the Campus Consortium team. Fellows introduced themselves and got to know one another after hearing staff tips. Reporting Fellow Program Manager Libby Moeller and Outreach Coordinator Ethan Widlansky shared similar tidbits: Be prepared to pivot. Your story may change, and that’s okay.

Other tips encouraged Fellows to do as much pre-reporting as possible, take some time to reflect each day, rely on their advisers for feedback, and practice polite persistence.

Fellows were also introduced to new Program Director Karima Haynes, who joined the Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium team earlier this summer. She supersedes outgoing director Kem Sawyer, whose leadership supported hundreds of Fellows and award-winning stories over the years. 

Advice from Pulitzer Center Editors

For two sessions, members of the Pulitzer Center editorial team were invited to weigh in with their tips. Some of their reporting advice included memorable takeaways: Executive Editor Marina Walker Guevara encouraged the Fellows to foster collaboration and view everyone they meet as potential partners rather than competitors. Publishing Manager Dana Thompson told students to “never assume anything.” Always ask ‘why,’ and cite your sources. Similarly, Senior Editor Steve Sapienza emphasized the importance of double-checking everything an organization tells you.

Gustavo Faleiros, director of environmental investigations, told the Reporting Fellows to do their research and conduct thorough interviews. “We have to be the masters of this game,” he said. “And the interview is the instrument that we have.”

Senior Editor Susan Ferriss wants journalists to question their own assumptions. She encouraged students to ask difficult questions and be bold. It’s good to be passionate about your story—a sentiment echoed by Ocean Editor Jessica Aldred, who said students should be brave in their reporting. If you believe in the story, you have to follow it through. “Don’t take no for an answer.”

Senior Editor Tom Hundley told students to not take “any unnecessary helicopter rides.” For a long and productive career in foreign reporting, always try to minimize risks and be safe. Jon Sawyer, the Pulitzer Center’s outgoing CEO, had one crucial piece of advice: “Keep track of everybody you meet.”

Other participants explored strategies for building trust with sources, organizing notes, pitching, and navigating new regions.

Tips from 2023 Reporting Fellow Alums

Reporting Fellow alums from the 2023 cohort—Elene Chkhaidze, Jermaine Ervin Jr., Anusha Mathur, and Mandile Mpofu—provided valuable advice during another session. They emphasized the importance of being flexible and prepared. Practical tips included building strong relationships with advisers, using free tools and platforms to stay organized, and allowing yourself to report on the subtle story. The alums also encouraged Fellows to use the Pulitzer Center’s extensive network for guidance and support.

Insights from the Campus Consortium Advisory Council

Orientation week concluded with members of our Campus Consortium Advisory Council. Journalist Melissa Noel drew on her own Pulitzer Center reporting, encouraging Fellows to dig deep and go beyond the surface-level story. Bill Gentile, a journalist and professor at American University’s School of Communication, urged students to recognize the power they wield as journalists. Think carefully about what to include.

Multimedia journalist and Reporting Fellow alum Sydney Combs had three pieces of advice for this year’s Fellows: Slow down, be patient, and notice quiet moments. Dayna Kerecman Myers, managing editor of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Global Health NOW, urged Fellows to prioritize compelling photographs for their articles.

Pulitzer Center grantee and Boston University professor David Abel shared a crucial question that should be at the forefront of every journalist's mind: "Why?" Abel also stressed the significance of concluding interviews by asking, "Is there anything I haven't asked that you think I should know?"

Jen Beard, a professor at BU’s School of Public Health, encouraged students who might be new to journalism: “There are at least two of you who may not think of yourself as journalists, but you belong here.” Howard University’s Ingrid Sturgis expanded on this statement, advising Fellows to not run away from challenges. 

Journalist and professor at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism Kari Lydersen, Wake Forest University and Pulitzer Center grantee Justin Catanoso, and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Harry S. Truman College Gail Gordon-Allen also imparted wisdom: They told Fellows to dig deep, immerse themselves in their reporting locations, and keep track of everything. 

Many thanks to the Reporting Fellow alums, Campus Consortium Advisory Council, and Pulitzer Center editors for inspiring our Fellows. 

And to our 2024 Fellows, good luck with your reporting projects! To echo some of the advice you've already heard: Listen. Be strong. Be persistent and stay safe.