Applications Now Open for Fall 2008 Jefferson Journalism Fellowships

Program Purpose and Content

The Jefferson Fellowships program was launched in 1967 to enhance public understanding through the news media of cultures, issues and trends in the Asia Pacific region, broadly defined as Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States. The long-range goal is to help news organizations build staff expertise about regional concerns and trends, so that their readers, viewers and listeners may be better informed.

The Fellowships provide the participating journalists with a wide range of perspectives through dialogue with professional colleagues, participation in seminars and meetings with business and government decision-makers, scholars and students, social activists, cultural analysts and others. These contacts, and a network of more than 500 former Jefferson Fellows, provide participants with resources on whom to call when they plan, assign, edit and produce news coverage involving or affecting the region.

The first week of the program consists of dialogue among the Fellows, including a short seminar led by each Fellow; lecture discussions with East-West Center researchers and other experts; and field visits. This will be followed by a study tour to cities in Asia and/or the United States.

Professional Exchange

One essential element of this professional experience is the journalist-to-journalist exchange. Central to this is a presentation that each Fellow will give to his or her fellow participants. Each Fellow is required to prepare and submit four weeks before arriving at the Center a short paper (1,000– 1,500 words). The paper should address a significant issue in the participant’s country that is relevant to the theme of the program and discuss how the country – at the government, private sector and/or socio- cultural level – is responding to the issue. The Jefferson Fellowships coordinator will work with invited Fellows to develop a series of presentations relevant to the theme. Each Fellow also will make a short oral presentation (approximately 10 minutes) and lead a group discussion based on the previously submitted paper.

The purpose of the papers and presentations is to tap the education and experience of participating journalists in ways that will be professionally useful to fellow participants as they study, assess, and report in their media on the themes of the program and the Asia Pacific region.

East-West Center, University of Hawai‘i and Other Resources

East-West Center fellows and research staff, University of Hawai‘i faculty and other experts will lead seminars addressing historical, cultural, social, media, political, security, economic and other issues in an Asia Pacific regional context. During their time in Hawai‘i, the Fellows are encouraged to avail themselves individually of Asia Pacific resources in the community, including staff and library facilities at the Center and the University of Hawai‘i. (The Center and the University are separate institutions but cooperate on a range of projects.)

Study Tour

Field study for the Fall 2008 program will consist of group travel for 17 days. All the Fellows will travel together to Phoenix, Erie, Cleveland and Washington, DC. The East-West Center will coordinate the travel segment of the program, working with on-the-ground partners in each city, as well as its network of alumni, including former Jefferson Fellows, who often volunteer to host, guide and advise traveling Fellows, and to arrange appointments and interviews.