Monthly Archives: February 2014

Post-Grad Fellowships at Columbia J-School

Students: The Journalism School annually makes available a number of fellowships that are open only to new or very recent graduates. These post-grad fellows work in various departments that include The New York World, Tow Center, as the Digital Media Associates, and with the Brown Institute. Applications are now being taken by each of these departments, and information on how to apply is below. Representatives from each of these departments will be available next Monday, Feb. 10, at 5 p.m., in the World Room for an information session to take questions about these positions. The Brown Institute’s director, Prof. Mark Hansen, will hold a mixer Feb. 17 to provide more info about the Brown Fellowships and Magic Grants, so watch for details on that event.
Meanwhile, click on the links below to learn more about each.  Information about additional possible fellowships at Columbia Journalism Review will be provided later.
The New York World
The New York World, http://www.thenewyorkworld.com, is hiring New York World scholars for the 2014-’15 academic year.
Scholars serve as full-time reporters doing investigations, accessible explanatory reporting and innovative digital media projects on civic affairs in New York City and State.

Each scholar works with the New York World’s editors to develop an area of coverage and produce stories documenting the impact of government spending, services and powers on New Yorkers and their communities. Areas covered by previous scholars have included the justice system, the urban environment, legislative redistricting, health care, the city budget, public space, access to government data, and the conduct and ethics of public officials.

The New York World is both a public service and laboratory for innovation in digital media, in collaboration with the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and Brown Center for Media Innovation. The New York World works with partner news organizations to distribute stories to diverse audiences; the organizations include WNYC, New York Daily News, Times Union, New York Observer, City & State. These postdoctoral research scholars must be from the graduating class or recent alumni of the Journalism School, and at least one will be hired from the Stabile investigative program. They will be based at the school and paid a salary (of about $41,000 annually, pro-rated based on the length of their appointment); they will also receive a generous University benefits package. We expect most fellows will begin July 1, 2014 and will serve until June 30, 2013, with the possibility of renewals beyond that date.

We’ll be looking for people with these skills and interests:

·      Investigative reporting and a keen understanding of and/or interest in the way city/state government and finances operate;
·      Digital skills, including data analysis, interactive graphics and an understanding of digital design and functionality;
·      Fundamental values and skills in media law, sourcing, ethics, investigative and narrative techniques, and aggregation and curation;
·      An eagerness to experiment in new forms of storytelling, presentation of information and audience engagement;
·      An ability to reach out to local communities and media, engaging them in efforts to shape coverage areas and publish relevant journalism.

Funding for The New York World comes from a number of generous donors who see this as a way to provide much-needed information to citizens of the city and state, and to provide additional training and experience to graduates of Columbia Journalism School. Columbia University is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and supporting a community diverse in every way: race, ethnicity, geography, religion, academic and extracurricular interest, family circumstance, sexual orientation, socio-economic background and more.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Feb. 28,  5 p.m.

Digital Media Associates

We are looking for four DMAs who have, or are able to quickly learn, a variety of multimedia skills, including video, photo, audio, Web design and data.

The associates work for 13 months alongside faculty in all the disciplines to assist with classroom training, facilitate technical workshops, and assist in various school-wide projects. Associates also work closely with the faculty and technology staff to integrate digital media instruction throughout the curriculum. Part-teaching assistants, part-technologists, ideal candidates are smart journalists with terrific reporting, writing, multimedia, editing and production skills. Additionally, they’ll need an engaging classroom presence. DMAs must be proficient in multimedia technologies, including video production, audio production, and photography.  The DMAs provide training to faculty and students on new media technology including web publishing software.  They assist instructors across the curriculum, as needed, with multimedia training and production, as well as manage digital production, including webcasting, of general school events; provide skills training for the MS students during August;  assist in digital media and data classes, including the module courses that will be held in fall and spring. They also are called on to develop and disseminate information on best solutions to recurring problems. Candidates should have advanced technical skills in web development, Photoshop, web management, digital  media production and use of data; willingness to learn and master new software; ability to present and teach and work in a collegial manner with students, faculty and administrators. They must be highly skilled at Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premiere, WordPress, and Social publishing platforms. Preference will be given to those with knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and HTML/CSS.

 

This position runs from June 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, pays $32,000 and includes a generous University benefits package. The DMA positions are open only MS and MA graduates of the class of 2014.

 

Apply at: http://fs7.formsite.com/cu_jschool_careers/CUGSJ_DMA/

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Feb. 28,  5 p.m.
 
 
Tow Center Associate
The Tow Center is looking for an Associate to join the Tow Center at an exciting time. We are seeking an Associate to help expand the Tow Center’s publishing, events, and teaching activities. The duties will include helping develop, edit, and commission articles for the Tow Center blog and website (www.towcenter.org); assisting to maintain the Tow Center’s social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube; helping conceive and arrange speakers for Tow Teas and other events; serving as lead videographer for Tow Center events; and supporting the Director of the Tow Center and Tow professors in their teaching and publishing work. The Associate will also receive a secondary academic appointment and the opportunity to gain experience and explore an academic career.  A passionate interest in journalism, technology, and a familiarity with the issues and debates surrounding digital journalism are important. The Associate will be expected to take full part in contributing creative ideas to the Tow Center and will need to be highly organized. Basic video skills (shooting and editing), web production, reporting and writing skills, and an understanding of digital publishing are of paramount importance.  Candidates should feel comfortable with current web publishing technologies, including WordPress. An understanding of social media and a personal digital presence are also important.

This position runs from June 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, pays $32,000 over a 13-month period and includes a generous University benefits package. This Associate position for the Tow Center is open to both MS and MA graduates of the class of 2014.

APPLY AT http://fs8.formsite.com/cjdos/TowDMA/index.html?1391183987608

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 28, 2014 5 p.m.

 
Magic Grants and Fellowships, Brown Institute for Innovation in the Media
The Brown Institute is now accepting Magic Grant and Fellowship proposals for the 2014-2015 academic year. David and Helen Gurley Brown believed that magic happens when innovative technology is combined with great content, when imaginative people are given the opportunity to explore their ideas and vision of the future. The Institute, founded in 2012 and housed half at Stanford Engineering and half at the Columbia J-School, has a simple mission: Sponsor thinking, building and speculating on how stories are discovered and told in a networked, digitized world. Each year we fund 2-3 Magic Grants and 2-3 Fellowships both at Columbia and at Stanford. A successful Magic Grant proposal clearly explains a unique idea, some hybrid of innovative technology and first-rate storytelling. The proposal should outline a one-year plan for its realization or  demonstration.
When judging proposals, we will give special preference to “bicoastal” projects: those having team members from each university. To help encourage this kind of collaboration, we are hosting a special mixer February 17—more details to follow. Funded teams are expected to work together at one or both of the Brown locations and participate in Institute events, helping build a multi-disciplinary community of researchers and storytellers. To learn more about the grant process, please consult the Brown Website at brown.columbia.edu/propose or drop by my office in Room 605d, Pulitzer Hall!
— Mark Hansen, Director, David and Helen Gurley Brown Institute for Media Innovation, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia Universit
Application Deadline for Magic Grant Porposals: March 23, 2014
Special Informational Mixer: Feb 17, 
Columbia University is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and supporting a community diverse in every way: race, ethnicity, geography, religion, academic and extracurricular interest, family circumstance, sexual orientation, socio-economic background and more.

 

Press Release: Innovation in Development Reporting Grant Program

The European Journalism Centre
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2014
The European Journalism Centre (EJC) has launched a new website, www.journalismgrants.org, for its Innovation in Development Reporting (IDR) Grant Programme. The new website went live on Tuesday, 22 January, 2014, marking the first anniversary of the grant programme.The revamped website gives a comprehensive overview of the 28 projects funded under the grant programme. The public can access a showcase of all outstanding projects awarded in 2013 a combined total of 550.000 Euros in funding aimed to innovate global development narratives and bring new forms of journalistic storytelling centered on the Millennium Development Goals.“In line with the current global efforts directed at increasing transparency regarding development spending, we want to also show to the public what the funded projects are all about. Consequently, the new website provides information regarding each funded project, including the grant recipients’ names, the funded amounts, the deadlines, the aim and objectives of their stories, as well as the results of the projects”, says EJC Director Wilfried Rütten.In 2014 the EJC will run two more rounds of applications. Don’t miss the next deadline coming up on the 26th of February 2014 (22:00 CET). Journalists and media organisations interested in breaking away from development journalism stereotypes can pitch their stories via the online application form. For questions, check the FAQ guide, or send an email to info@journalismgrants.org.