About the Fellowship

The Community Reporting Fellowship at Lede New Orleans is a paid, hands-on training opportunity for emerging storytellers, age 18-25, who are looking for a trusted space and community to grow their media and civic leadership skills. The 24-week program is designed with equity and community engagement at its core, supporting storytellers from communities that have been historically under- and misrepresented in local media, including Black and Latinx communities.

Fellows are paired with professional mentors to develop their reporting and technical skills in one of three medium tracks (writing, photo or video), and work with New Orleans community members to gather information and share stories about local issues, centering the needs, voices and lived experiences of those directly impacted by those issues. Participants can expect to have critical conversations about the media industry and what equitable, ethical community media can look like in New Orleans. Fellows are encouraged to think creatively about how to improve the information ecosystem in New Orleans, and how to reach New Orleanians in communities of color with vital information and stories that reflect their lived experiences.

Fellows’ work is published online and in print, through podcasts and through engagement methods, including interactive exhibits and fliers. Some fellows have gone on to work at traditional media organizations, or have piloted their own media projects. Fellows join a growing community of Lede New Orleans alumni and alumni coaches, and forge meaningful connections in New Orleans’ community of journalists, creators and social justice leaders.