The purpose of the program is to identify writers who have the potential to become full-time staff writers, but who, through no fault of their own, lack the experience to be hired into such positions.

Writing fellowships are six-month jobs. They pay $500 per week, without benefits. Most fellows hired either have a master's degree or at least a year of practical journalistic experience outside school. However, in some instances, fellows may be hired immediately after completing their bachelor's degree.

Village Voice Media fellowships are writing and reporting jobs. Our fellows don't do busywork, compile listings, go for coffee, or complete 'research' for more experienced writers. Instead, they work intensively with an experienced editor/mentor to learn the basics of long-form news and feature writing. During the six-month fellowship period, they produce two magazine-style cover stories, in addition to writing and reporting a handful of shorter pieces.

The fellowship program is a performance-based meritocracy. Fellows do not compete against each other for jobs, and there is no guaranteed wash-out rate. Instead, upon completion of their fellowship, fellows who have performed up to Village Voice Media standards are given first priority for any entry-level staff writing jobs available around the company.

Since the Village Voice Media fellowship program began in 1999, 55 people have accepted and completed fellowships. Of that number, 36--or 65 percent--have been hired as staff writers.

READING LIST

Perhaps the best way to gauge the success of the Village Voice Media fellowship program is to read stories written by our present or former fellows. Here is a selection:

Isaiah Thompson, Miami New Times
"Grady and the Champ"
"Swept Under the Bridge"

Matthew Fleischer, LA Weekly
"Daddy From Hell"
"Navahoax"

Lauren Smiley, SF Weekly
"Girl/Boy Interrupted"

Karla Starr, Seattle Weekly
"Testing Video Games Can't Possibly Be Harder Than an Afternoon With Xbox, Right?"
"I Am Trying to Hear That"

Peter Rugg, The Pitch
"Lawn of the Dead"
"Smoke Over Water"

Elizabeth Ulrich, Nashville Scene
"Field of Screams"
"Naked Before God"

Jeneen Interlandi, Village Voice
"Green Card Negative"
"TB or Not TB"

Joel Warner, Westword
"Sole Survivor"
"Mr. Big"

Ashley Harrell, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
"Driving While Demented"
"After Baghdad"

Andrea Grimes, Dallas Observer
"Over the Edge"
"Icy Hot"

Eliza Strickland, SF Weekly
"The Asylum Trap"
"Disturbing the Peace"

Megan Irwin, Phoenix New Times
"It Girl"
"Borrowed Time"

Clay Smith, Dallas Observer
"Gay Caballeros"
"The Sins of the Father"

Jared Jacang Maher, Westword
"Building for the Future"
"Skate Nation"

Rick Kennedy, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
"Pierce and Play"
"Mutiny on the Atlantica"

Paul Kix, Dallas Observer
"All the Rage"
"Bass Fishing in America"

Rebecca Meiser, Cleveland Scene
"Leather and Laces"
"Showtime at Sand Ridge"

Forrest Norman, Miami New Times
"The Question That Won't Die"
"A Brush With Death"

Casey Logan, The Pitch
"The Lighter Side of Torture"
"Screwed by Sprint"

Michael Serazio, Houston Press
"Children of Enron"
"Passport to Nowhere"

Matt Palmquist, SF Weekly
"A Duty to Hack"
"The Pain of the Disco Ninja"

AWARDS

In addition to competing successfully in regional and local writing competitions, Village Voice Media fellows have been recognized in national writing competitions pitting them against the country's major newspapers and magazines.

Matthew Fleischer, LA Weekly
Fleischer's story "Navahoax," which revealed a remarkable scandal in the publishing industry, was a national finalist in the annual Investigative Reporters and Editors contest.

Ashley Harrell, New Times Broward-Palm Beach
Harrell's "Rebreathe Deep the Gathering Doom," about a fatal diving accident off the Florida coast, took third-place in the feature writing category of the Association for Alternative Newsweeklies awards.

Aina Hunter, Cleveland Scene
Hunter is a national finalist in the "features" category of the 2004 National Association of Black Journalists Awards for her feature story "From Capetown to Cleveland."

Bernice Yeung, SF Weekly
Yeung was a national finalist in the 2004 John Bartlow Martin Awards for Public Interest Magazine Journalism for her story "Innocence Arrested." Yeung also was a national finalist in the 2001 Martin contest for her article "Girl Problems." and in 2000 for her story "Opening Pandora's Box."

Jeremy Mullman, SF Weekly
Mullman was a finalist in the 2002 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists for his story "Rural Cleansing."

Julianna Barbassa, Dallas Observer
Barbassa was a national finalist in the 2000 Eugene S. Pulliam National Writing Awards for her story "Children of the Storm."

Emily Bliss, New Times Broward/Palm Beach
Bliss took second-place in the 2001 National Education Awards for Education Reporting for her story "A Scout For Life."

Jennifer Mathieu, Houston Press
Mathieu was a finalist in the 2002 GLAAD Media Awards for her article "Positive Love", and took first-place in the 2003 Alternative Newsweekly Awards "Media Reporting" category for the story "Reality TV Bites."

We have now filled all of our fellowships for 2008. However, applications are accepted year-round for our next round of fellowships, which will begin in January 2009. Those interested in applying should send a cover letter, resume, and five best clips to:

Andy Van De Voorde
Executive Associate Editor
Village Voice Media
969 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203

CAMPUS VISITS

Our editors visit campuses throughout the year. Check back to see the latest scheduled visits, and contact your school's placement office for more information.