Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply?

Principal editors of newspapers or online news outlets from any nation outside Western Europe and North America are eligible. Priority is given to senior editors from countries in the developing world, including Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics.

What are the program criteria?

Editors are selected competitively. The criteria include:

1. Level of newsroom responsibility held by the applicant. The ideal applicant holds significant editorial or managerial responsibilities at a newsroom and supervises a considerable percentage of the news staff, such as (but not limited to) an editor-in-chief or deputy editor-in-chief.

IJE 2005 group in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

 2. Proficiency in English. Applicant should have adequate proficiency in both spoken and written English that allow him/her reasonably efficient communication during the program. Applicant must be interviewed by a native English-speaker who fills out the English Evaluation Form.

3. Demonstrated goals for participation in the program. Applicant must write a 300-word essay describing what he/she wants to learn and accomplish during the program. The applicant should explain why participating in the program would be useful to his/her news organization as well as his/her own professional growth.

4. Journalistic experience. Applicant should have at least five years of journalistic experience.

5. Current employment at a newspaper, wire or online news service.

6. Age. Applicant should be between 21 and 55 years of age.

7. Conditions of the exchange. Applicant must submit a complete application package, including application form, English language evaluation form and agreement to program conditions. Applicant is encouraged to also include two issues of his/her newspaper, if applicable, in the application.

8. Once chosen, participants must comply with the agreement to program conditions.

Which costs does the program cover?

The program covers round-trip international airfare, all domestic program-related travel, emergency medical insurance, Washington and New York hotel accommodations, and a stipend for meals and other incidental expenses. The sponsors also provide housing for the newsroom attachment, more often in home stays with a newspaper professional. The program cannot accommodate spouses or dependents.

Applications

The program is currently not accepting any more publications.

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