Applications are now open for the 2026 Tarbell Fellowship Program. The Tarbell Fellowship is a one-year program for journalists interested in covering artificial intelligence. Fellows secure a nine-month placement at a major newsroom, participate in a 10-week course covering AI and journalism fundamentals, and attend a weeklong journalism summit in the San Francisco Bay Area. Host newsrooms in 2025 included Bloomberg, the Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time Magazine, and many other leading outlets.
The Tarbell Fellowship provides a stipend of $60,000 to $80,000 to support placements for early-career fellows, and $90,000 to $110,000 for Senior Fellows (with 5 or more years of experience in journalism or AI).
Requirements
- Full-time. The fellowship is a full-time commitment. Journalism is a highly competitive industry, and we expect fellows to be completely focused on succeeding.
- International. The fellowship is open to rising journalism talent from around the globe. Some placements require the right to work in the U.K. or the U.S., and in some cases we can support fellows in acquiring visas.
Senior Fellowship. Candidates with more than five years of full-time work experience in either journalism or AI are eligible for positions as Senior Fellows. These positions have a stipend of $90,000 to $110,000 dependent on location and will require an additional time commitment of approximately five hours per week during the 10-week AI Journalism Fundamentals training period to assist with mentorship and workshops.
Benefits
- Placement. Fellows secure a nine-month placement at a major newsroom covering artificial intelligence. Placement details vary by outlet.
- Stipend. Fellows receive stipends of $60,000 to $80,000, depending on location, for the duration of their placement. Stipends for Senior Fellows (with five or more years of experience in journalism or AI) are $90,000 to $110,000.
- AI Journalism Fundamentals. Prior to placements, fellows complete a 10-week program on AI and journalism fundamentals. This remote program requires a full-time commitment and includes a custom curriculum, guest lectures, and graded assignments.
- Fellowship Summit. Fellows attend a weeklong summit in the San Francisco Bay Area before starting their placements. This will be an intensive week of guest speakers, workshops and networking events. Travel and accommodation costs will be fully covered.
How to Apply
- Application and Writing Samples (<60 minutes)
Nov. 12, 2025 to Jan. 7 2026 - Complete our application form. Include your CV, answer some short questions and provide one to three writing samples.
- Work Test (2-4 hours)
Late January to early February, 2026
Complete a two- to three-hour work task designed to test your ability to excel in a newsroom covering AI. - Interviews (2-4 hours)
March, 2026 - Complete a 1-hour interview with a member of the Tarbell team and 1-3 interviews with potential placement organizations.
