USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Data Fellowship

The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Data Fellowship offers journalists an opportunity to transform their reporting by training them to “interview the data” as if it were a human source. Equipped with the tools to find original sources of information and perform data analysis, Fellows graduate from this hands-on training program prepared to produce a major investigative or explanatory health reporting project in the months that follow. 

This program offers training on data acquisition, cleaning, analysis and visualization led by some of the most skilled data reporters and journalism practitioners in the nation. They teach journalists how to “bulletproof” their data, ensuring accuracy in reporting. Following the training week, Senior Fellows mentor reporters as they pair original data analysis with compelling narratives culminating in a groundbreaking Fellowship project focusing on an underlooked health issue in their community. 

Admitted Fellows receive: 

• A $2,000 stipend to defray reporting costs
• One week of extensive, hands-on training in beginner, intermediate or advanced Excel or R-Studio: October 16-19, 2023
• Five months of professional mentorship, including skills-building workshops

Fellows also are eligible to apply for five months of professional mentorship in engaged journalism and $1,000-$2,000 to support those creative efforts.

The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism embraces a broad view of health, which doesn’t just happen at doctors’ offices and hospitals. Health is shaped by our environment — our schools, our neighborhoods and our communities., and the Center strives to admit Fellows whose work reflects that. With the Data Fellowship, reporting themes supported for National applicants (outside of California) should focus on child health and well-being, including the following themes:

The impact of chronic stress, poverty and childhood trauma on child development
The intersection of race/ethnicity and/or class in child and family outcomes
Child illness, injury and mortality trends
The impact of systems for children, including foster care and child protective services
Juvenile justice issues
The intersection between partner violence and child abuse
Approaches to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and families

Interested in applying? Candidates are required to schedule a meeting with the Center ahead of applying to discuss their project proposal. Fill out the contact form below and somebody from the Center will reach out to you. Learn more about the opportunity here.

Application deadline: July 17, 2023.