FASPE is an intensive, two-week study program in professional ethics and ethical leadership. FASPE is neither a Holocaust studies course, nor a genocide prevention program. Rather, the curriculum is designed to challenge Fellows to critically examine constructs, current developments and issues that raise ethical concerns in their professions in contemporary settings in which they work.

FASPE Journalism challenges its Fellows to recognize their responsibility to act as ethical leaders in their careers in journalism and the media. FASPE begins by examining the actions and choices of German and international journalists in covering and supporting Nazi policies. FASPE then draws on this historical example to help Journalism Fellows grasp their role and responsibility as individuals with influence in their communities and to lead them to identify and confront the ethical issues currently facing journalists and media institutions at large.

Each year, FASPE Journalism awards fellowships to 14 to 16 journalism students and early-career journalists. Fellows spend two weeks in Berlin and Poland, where they visit key sites of Nazi history and participate in daily seminars led by specialized faculty. The program couples the power of place with academic rigor and many informal opportunities for creative exchange.

FASPE draws on a large pool of applicants, whose diverse backgrounds and interests enrich discussions both inside and outside the seminar room. Journalism Fellows travel with Medical and Seminary Fellows, allowing them to broaden their understanding of the role of professionals over shared meals and activities and in several interdisciplinary seminars. FASPE Fellowships are fully funded so that financial ability does not affect participation.

Eligibility

FASPE Journalism applicants must fit into one of the following two categories: 1) have some journalistic experience (whether in a college newsroom or otherwise) and be enrolled in a graduate program of any kind and planning to work as a journalist; OR 2) be working as a journalist with less than 10 years of professional experience.

Preference will be given to candidates who have journalistic work that has been published or aired by a recognized news organization.

FASPE seeks Fellows who are interested in engaging in discussions with their co-Fellows and faculty, and who have the intellectual and emotional maturity to unpack difficult and controversial issues responsibly and respectfully in small group settings. FASPE seeks Journalism Fellows with diverse interests and backgrounds, including those pursuing careers as reporters, editors, photojournalists, documentarians, or other forms of storytelling in local, national, and international contexts. FASPE selects its Fellows on the basis of their academic background, personal and professional experiences, capacity for leadership and ability to contribute to the program and the alumni community. All applications are welcome and reviewed.

DATES FOR THE 2023 JOURNALISM PROGRAM: June 23, 2023 – July 7, 2023

To view photos of the 2022 Journalism program and read about the experience, please go here.

FASPE Journalism Fellows examine topics such as:

• the complicity of German and foreign journalists in Nazi policies through inadequate coverage or outright misrepresentation of the crimes being committed
• the impact of technology on journalism
• the role of journalists in electoral politics and in holding power accountable
• the nature and propriety of advocacy journalism
• normalizing aberrant behavior through media coverage
• the challenge of reporting in an era in which fake news and accusations of “fake news” are common
• balancing the costs and benefits of access tactics to address ethical issues within the journalism community or media outlets

FASPE Journalism Fellows now work as editors, reporters, nonfiction writers, photojournalists, broadcasters and other professionals, across a wide range of media. Through their shared FASPE experience, Fellows form long-lasting relationships and deep bonds that grow over time. Journalism Fellows participate in formal and informal networks that provide support throughout their careers.

FASPE Journalism was initially developed in consultation with faculty at Columbia Journalism School.