Applications Now Open for Fall 2008 Jefferson Journalism Fellowships

The East-West Center now is accepting applications for 12 Fall 2008 Jefferson Fellowships, which provide three weeks of professional dialogue, study and travel for print and broadcast journalists from the United States, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The program will take place October 18 - November 9, 2008. It will begin at the East-West Center in Honolulu and continue with a study tour to Phoenix, Arizona; Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; and Washington, DC in the United States. During the study tour, all twelve Jefferson Fellows will traveltogether and share their experiences and insights as they explore the issues of importance in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. The program will conclude in Washington, DC.

The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

The theme of the Fall 2008 program will be: The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

Americans will go to the polls on November 4, 2008 to elect a new President and Vice President and to vote for a host of other national and local offices. For the first time since 1952, there is no incumbent President or Vice President seeking election, and for the first time ever, the primary field includes both an African American and a woman as front runners. The race for President will certainly be about personalities, character and experience. It also will turn on the candidates’ positions on key issues that have a major impact on the lives of ordinary Americans as well other countries. This year, the war in Iraq, national security, the U.S. economy, globalization, trade, health care and immigration top the agenda. But as was seen in 2004, there are other factors that can sway the electorate: Will “values” voters again exert their influence? To what extent will a candidate’s likeability play a role? And this year, what impact will gender or race have on the election?

This special Jefferson Fellowships program will provide journalists from Asia, the Pacific and the U.S. with an opportunity to explore the important issues in this 2008 election, learn about the U.S. political process, observe this historic election and finally, discuss the outcome with U.S. analysts and one another.

The Fellows in this program also will benefit from the opportunity to share among themselves the perspectives of journalists from across the region and the concerns of their governments and people. After one week of discussion sessions with regional experts and one another at the East-West Center in Honolulu, participants will travel to various areas of the United States to discuss election issues and attitudes with policymakers, business leaders, community activists, and most importantly, voters from a range of important constituencies such as recent immigrants, retirees, blue collar workers, factory owners, religious groups, African American communities, young people and women. In Phoenix, Arizona, John McCain’s home state, Fellows will explore the complexities of health care and immigration. In Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio, cities in America’s “rust-belt,” an area hard hit by globalization, the program will focus on attitudes toward the economy, trade, social values, and America’s future.

Fellows will observe the election in Ohio, the state that determined the 2004 contest in favor of George Bush and which is predicted to serve as a bellwether again this year. They will then travel to Washington, DC for a discussion with analysts, policymakers, journalists and others on what the results mean for the United States and its relations with Asia, the Pacific and the rest of the world.

Who May Apply

The Jefferson Fellowships are designed for working print, broadcast and on-line journalists with a minimum of five years of professional experience, though some flexibility is allowed in assessing the applications. The program is open to reporters and editors; “gatekeepers” who help determine the content of coverage by their news organizations; editorial writers, commentators and columnists; and broadcast producers.

Study sessions, discussions and briefings are conducted in English; fluency in that language is required.