Engagement Fellowship for journalists and students

We are offering a 12-month Engagement Fellowship for journalists and journalism students interested in strengthening audience trust, connection and loyalty.
The program begins with an 8-hour training launch, followed by a monthly time commitment of approximately 3–5 hours, including one 30-60 minute Zoom session per month.
SuccessfulJournalism.com is dedicated to helping news products emotionally connect with their audience, without sacrificing truth or objectivity. Emotional engagement is a newsroom’s superpower. It builds trust, drives loyalty, and creates resilience against misinformation, deepfakes and revenue decline.
This fellowship supports two core goals. You may focus on one or combine both:
- Apply emotional engagement to your own journalism or news service. Get support and strategic feedback on your stories, coverage decisions, newsroom projects, or reader relationships. We listen and advise — you remain in control.
- Support the growth of SuccessfulJournalism.com and promote emotional engagement nationally. This could include writing articles, assisting with strategy, or helping with social media.
The ideal candidate has a foundational knowledge of journalism and a commitment to innovation in service of the public.
You’ll work directly with Rob Golub, founder and editor of SuccessfulJournalism.com. Rob’s interns have gone on to roles at CNN, Bloomberg, MSNBC, and other major outlets. He has spoken on engaged journalism at national conferences and written for Poynter.
This is an unpaid, fee-free, 12-month remote fellowship, with flexibility tailored to individual participants.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
To apply, email the following to Rob Golub at robgolub@yahoo.com:
- Letter of interest (including your goals for the fellowship and which focus area(s) you’d like to pursue)
- Résumé
- GPA if applicable
- Writing/journalism samples