William Allen White Foundation Launches Fellowship to Support Local Journalism in Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The William Allen White Foundation today opened applications for the Community Journalism Fellowship, a pilot program designed to strengthen local reporting in Kansas communities. The Foundation is inviting Kansas news organizations to apply to host a full-time reporting fellow, with a $30,000 grant to help support the position.

“Local journalism is essential to the health of our communities, and we want to strengthen its foundation in Kansas,” said Michelle Keller, chair of the William Allen White Foundation and Director of Professional Graduate Studies at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at KU. “This fellowship is one way we can put that commitment into action by connecting talented young journalists with newsrooms that need them, and honoring the legacy William Allen White built around this work.”

The Fellowship will be implemented in two stages. First, the Foundation’s Trustees will select a host newsroom to receive the grant. Then, the newsroom will select a graduating KU journalism student for a full-time, year-long reporting position following graduation.

Eligible newsrooms are those serving Kansas counties of 75,000 or fewer residents. The grant is intended to fund part a portion of the salary and benefits of the fellow who accepts the role. Remaining expenses are the responsibility of the hiring news outlet. The program may be expanded to more media outlets in future years depending on the successes of this initial pilot.

Applications from host newsrooms are due October 15, 2026, and the host newsroom will be selected by November 1, 2026. Details on how to apply are available at https://journalism.ku.edu/community-journalism-fellowship

The William Allen White Foundation was established in 1945 to honor and advance the ideals of William Allen White, promote excellence in journalism, and support journalism education at the University of Kansas. Funds for the grant will be provided by the Foundation, a registered non- profit organization supported by donors and its trustees.

William Allen White was the publisher of the Emporia Gazette, known as the “Sage of Emporia.” He rose to fame with his 1896 editorial, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” and won the Pulitzer Prize with his 1923 editorial defending free speech, “To an Anxious Friend.”

Fellowship Contact: Tom Slaughter, tomeslaughter@gmail.com or 908-723-4937