Deadline: February 1, 2026
Applications are open for the Great Lakes Local News Fellowship 2026-2027. The Great Lakes Local News Fellowship is designed to support the development of new or reimagined locally-focused journalism projects serving communities in the midwestern Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The fellowship will offer support and training to two journalists or journalism strategists from the focus states. Fellowship support includes access to experts in entrepreneurship, business law, organizational development and post-fellowship consulting to aid in developing and implementing entrepreneurial journalism projects. Projects may include but are not limited to crafting business plans, developing funding and revenue models, addressing technical or distribution challenges, or designing community engagement strategies to rebuild public trust in journalism or reach underserved communities.
Eligibility
- Open to U.S. journalists and journalism strategists building or growing local news outlets in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio or Wisconsin.
- Applicants should live in or have a demonstrated understanding of the area they are proposing to serve and have at least five years of working experience.
- Applicants should have a clear intent to remain in and serve a community in one of the focus states after the completion of their fellowship.
Application
- Applicants must explain in their personal statement their current connection to local news in one of the Great Lakes states and, in their project proposal, describe their entrepreneurial journalism project and how the fellowship and extra resources would help them achieve their goals.
- Applicants should be specific in the skills they have and the skills they need to develop.
For more information, see FAQ and visit Great Lakes Local News Fellowship.
