Washington, DC - The International Women’s
Media Foundation is calling for applications to the Elizabeth
Neuffer Fellowship, a new program that supports women journalists
who report on human rights and social justice. The fellowship
combines research opportunities at MIT’s Center for
International Studies and other Boston area universities
with reporting opportunities at The New York Times and The
Boston Globe.
The fellowship is named for a Boston Globe
reporter who was a 1998 winner of the IWMF’s Courage
in Journalism Award. Elizabeth Neuffer was killed in May
2003 while covering the war in Iraq. The IWMF has established
this project in collaboration with Neuffer’s family
and friends.
“As a reporter, foreign correspondent
and witness to war, Elizabeth Neuffer saw the very worst
that human beings can do to each other. As a result, she
was passionate about human rights and social justice,”
said IWMF co-chair Lynn Povich.
The flexible structure of the Elizabeth
Neuffer Fellowship will allow the fellow to design a program
that combines academic research with practical experience
covering human rights. The fellow will also have a key role
in the Elizabeth Neuffer Forum on Human Rights and Journalism,
an annual program to be held in May.
The fellowship is open to women journalists
who focus on human rights and social justice. A successful
applicant will be dedicated to a career in journalism in
the print, broadcast or Internet media, and show a strong
commitment to sharing knowledge and skills with colleagues
upon the completion of the fellowship. Excellent written
and spoken English skills are required. Expenses, including
air fare and housing will be covered.
Mark Neuffer, Elizabeth’s brother,
said, “The fellowship is a great resource to fire
the imaginations and kindle the energies of women committed
to human rights journalism.”
Applications are being accepted until February
25, 2005. The fellowship winner will be announced in May
2005. The fellowship will run from September 2005 –
May 2006.
This project is generously supported by
The Boston Globe, Peter Canellos, Carolyn Lee, MIT Center
for International Studies, Mark Neuffer, the United Nations
Foundation and Friends of Elizabeth Neuffer.
The International Women’s Media Foundation
was launched in 1990 with a mission to strengthen the role
of women in the news media worldwide, based on the belief
that no press is truly free unless women share an equal
voice. The IWMF network includes more than 1,500 women in
the media in more than 130 countries worldwide.
For further information and an application,
visit the IWMF website, http://www.iwmf.org/programs/neuffer,
or e-mail neuffer@iwmf.org.
