Work Shift & New America Future of Work Reporting Fellowship: Telling the Stories That Shape Economic Opportunity
Billions of dollars are flowing into communities across America—government and private investments in emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, and innovation hubs that promise to transform regional economies and create new pathways to good jobs. But will these investments actually deliver economic mobility for working families? Who gets left behind, and who benefits?
These are the stories that matter most right now, yet they're going undertold. As school systems forge new partnerships with tech companies, as community colleges retool programs for a changing labor market, as entire regions bet their futures on becoming the next tech hub—local communities need journalism that connects the dots and holds institutions accountable.
The Future of Work Reporting Fellowship, co-organized by Work Shift and New America’s Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative, supports journalists telling these essential stories: how education, workforce development, and the innovation economy intersect in real communities, and what it means for people's lives and livelihoods.
THE FELLOWSHIP
Fellows must complete a place-based reporting project, such as an in-depth article, series, or multimedia project that examines the intersection of education, workforce development, and the innovation economy in specific communities or regions.
Each Fellow in the Work Shift & New America Reporting Fellowship will receive:
- $5,000 stipend for project completion
- $1,500 expense budget for travel, research, and other reporting expenses
- Professional development and editorial support including coaching, editing, and peer learning opportunities from Work Shift editors and New America leaders
- A virtual workshop organized by New America to deepen understanding of the intersection of education, industrial policy, and tech-driven economic development
- Access to expert sources and data resources to support high-quality, informed reporting
The fellowship will run from September 2026 through August 2027.
ELIGIBILITY
The Fellowship is open to U.S.-based journalists whose work includes reporting on education (K-12 or postsecondary), workforce development, economic development, technology, industrial policy, or related social and public policy issue.
We particularly encourage applications from local and regional reporters covering the workforce and education impacts of advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, next generation energy, and other technology investments in their communities. National reporters are also eligible if their work focuses on place-based stories and on-the-ground impacts.
Potential fellows will be early- and mid-career journalists (approximately 1-15 years of professional reporting experience) interested in deepening and expanding their understanding of how education systems connect to technology-driven economic development and the future of work.
Print, online, radio, TV and multimedia reporters and editors from local and national publications and digital-only news platforms are eligible. So are independent news podcasters, newsletter writers, and freelancers who target nonpartisan media outlets.
Your application should state your intended outlet and its commitment to run your project. Work Shift is open to co-publishing or being the primary publisher on some projects. If you would like us to be the primary or secondary publisher of your work, there will be a space for you to indicate that in the application.
HOW TO APPLY
Online Application
Work Shift and New America use this online application portal which requires applicants to set up an account. If you bookmark the portal, you can log in any time to make changes.
Application Requirements
A complete application consists of these required components:
- Basic applicant information (personal and professional details)
- Statement of interest / Project proposal (500-750 words; see below for details)
- One letter of recommendation OR a statement of qualifications (see below for details)
- Résumé
- Links to three (3) work samples (please provide links to three work samples published within the past five years. Samples should be your best recent work.)
Deadline: The deadline for ALL components of the application is July 24, 2026. It is strongly recommended that all components be submitted at least one day prior to the application deadline to ensure the documents have been received. If all components are not received by the deadline, the application will be incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Fellows will be announced in Fall 2026.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is considered a Fellowship project?
Fellows will choose a topic related to education and the innovation economy for their reporting project. The project may be in whatever medium the Fellow works—prose, audio, video, photo—so long as the piece is published by the end of the Fellowship period (August 2027).
Reporting projects should be place-based, examining how federal investments in emerging technologies, workforce development initiatives, or innovation economy programs are playing out in specific communities or regions. Projects should explore connections between educational institutions (K-12 or postsecondary), workforce development, economic development, and industrial policy.
Reporting projects should be a special in-depth article, package, or series of articles, or a similar long-form project for other media.
What qualifies as a "working journalist"? What qualifies as "early and mid-career"?
A "working journalist" is a person whose principal vocation is journalism, and who is employed in one or more news organizations—on a full-time, part-time basis, or freelance—as an editor, reporter, correspondent, multimedia journalist, podcaster, documentarian, photographer, or similar editorial role. It does not include persons employed solely for managerial or administrative roles.
"Early and mid-career" journalists include those with approximately 1-15 years of professional reporting experience (either freelance or with a home news organization). Selected applicants will have demonstrated an active interest in broadening and deepening their knowledge of how education, workforce development, and innovation economy investments intersect, and shown how their participation in this program will benefit their professional growth.
What types of stories are you looking for?
We're interested in place-based reporting that examines how education connects to innovation economy investments and workforce development—and in particular, whether and how those investments drive economic mobility. Examples might include:
- A community college in upstate New York or Phoenix ramping up to train workers for the new semiconductor plants—who's getting those jobs, and are they actually good jobs?
- What happens when a rural school district partners with a battery manufacturing facility: Are students from farming families actually landing careers in advanced manufacturing, or are companies importing talent?
- What happened after a Southern city won a major EV battery plant: Did the promised apprenticeships materialize, or are workers stuck in temporary staffing agency roles?
- Whether Black and Latino students in Columbus, Ohio, are accessing the AI and robotics careers blooming around them, or watching opportunity pass them by.
These are just examples, and we’re excited to hear your ideas. We welcome stories that bring a critical lens to these topics and that center the voices of students, workers, educators, community members, and employers.
Who is the audience for these stories?
The primary audiences are the public at large and, in particular, education leaders and staff (K-12 and postsecondary), state and local policymakers, and industry and economic development leaders in regions where education and innovation economy work is converging.
Can I apply if I'm a national reporter?
Yes, as long as your proposed reporting project is place-based—examining impacts in specific communities or regions rather than providing only a national overview. We have a strong preference for local and regional reporters who are embedded in the communities they cover, but national reporters doing place-based work are welcome to apply.
What support will Fellows receive?
Fellows will receive coaching and editing from Work Shift editors, access to a virtual professional development workshop organized by New America, help with story development and source identification, guidance on data resources, and opportunities to connect with other fellows and with experts in education, workforce, and economic development policy.
--
About Work Shift
Work Shift is an independent news site covering the intersection of education, work, and economic opportunity. We report on what's working—and what isn't—in the education and workforce systems meant to connect people to good jobs.
About New America
Our mission is to generate big ideas and bold solutions for a new America. We envision an America that represents and serves the public, where institutions work for all Americans, where workers, families, and communities can thrive, and where people are secure from existential threats. Learn more at newamerica.org.
Future of Work Reporting Fellowship
Work Shift & New America Future of Work Reporting Fellowship: Telling the Stories That Shape Economic Opportunity
Billions of dollars are flowing into communities across America—government and private investments in emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, and innovation hubs that promise to transform regional economies and create new pathways to good jobs. But will these investments actually deliver economic mobility for working families? Who gets left behind, and who benefits?
These are the stories that matter most right now, yet they're going undertold. As school systems forge new partnerships with tech companies, as community colleges retool programs for a changing labor market, as entire regions bet their futures on becoming the next tech hub—local communities need journalism that connects the dots and holds institutions accountable.
The Future of Work Reporting Fellowship, co-organized by Work Shift and New America’s Future of Work & Innovation Economy initiative, supports journalists telling these essential stories: how education, workforce development, and the innovation economy intersect in real communities, and what it means for people's lives and livelihoods.
THE FELLOWSHIP
Fellows must complete a place-based reporting project, such as an in-depth article, series, or multimedia project that examines the intersection of education, workforce development, and the innovation economy in specific communities or regions.
Each Fellow in the Work Shift & New America Reporting Fellowship will receive:
- $5,000 stipend for project completion
- $1,500 expense budget for travel, research, and other reporting expenses
- Professional development and editorial support including coaching, editing, and peer learning opportunities from Work Shift editors and New America leaders
- A virtual workshop organized by New America to deepen understanding of the intersection of education, industrial policy, and tech-driven economic development
- Access to expert sources and data resources to support high-quality, informed reporting
The fellowship will run from September 2026 through August 2027.
ELIGIBILITY
The Fellowship is open to U.S.-based journalists whose work includes reporting on education (K-12 or postsecondary), workforce development, economic development, technology, industrial policy, or related social and public policy issue.
We particularly encourage applications from local and regional reporters covering the workforce and education impacts of advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, next generation energy, and other technology investments in their communities. National reporters are also eligible if their work focuses on place-based stories and on-the-ground impacts.
Potential fellows will be early- and mid-career journalists (approximately 1-15 years of professional reporting experience) interested in deepening and expanding their understanding of how education systems connect to technology-driven economic development and the future of work.
Print, online, radio, TV and multimedia reporters and editors from local and national publications and digital-only news platforms are eligible. So are independent news podcasters, newsletter writers, and freelancers who target nonpartisan media outlets.
Your application should state your intended outlet and its commitment to run your project. Work Shift is open to co-publishing or being the primary publisher on some projects. If you would like us to be the primary or secondary publisher of your work, there will be a space for you to indicate that in the application.
HOW TO APPLY
Online Application
Work Shift and New America use this online application portal which requires applicants to set up an account. If you bookmark the portal, you can log in any time to make changes.
Application Requirements
A complete application consists of these required components:
- Basic applicant information (personal and professional details)
- Statement of interest / Project proposal (500-750 words; see below for details)
- One letter of recommendation OR a statement of qualifications (see below for details)
- Résumé
- Links to three (3) work samples (please provide links to three work samples published within the past five years. Samples should be your best recent work.)
Deadline: The deadline for ALL components of the application is July 24, 2026. It is strongly recommended that all components be submitted at least one day prior to the application deadline to ensure the documents have been received. If all components are not received by the deadline, the application will be incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Fellows will be announced in Fall 2026.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is considered a Fellowship project?
Fellows will choose a topic related to education and the innovation economy for their reporting project. The project may be in whatever medium the Fellow works—prose, audio, video, photo—so long as the piece is published by the end of the Fellowship period (August 2027).
Reporting projects should be place-based, examining how federal investments in emerging technologies, workforce development initiatives, or innovation economy programs are playing out in specific communities or regions. Projects should explore connections between educational institutions (K-12 or postsecondary), workforce development, economic development, and industrial policy.
Reporting projects should be a special in-depth article, package, or series of articles, or a similar long-form project for other media.
What qualifies as a "working journalist"? What qualifies as "early and mid-career"?
A "working journalist" is a person whose principal vocation is journalism, and who is employed in one or more news organizations—on a full-time, part-time basis, or freelance—as an editor, reporter, correspondent, multimedia journalist, podcaster, documentarian, photographer, or similar editorial role. It does not include persons employed solely for managerial or administrative roles.
"Early and mid-career" journalists include those with approximately 1-15 years of professional reporting experience (either freelance or with a home news organization). Selected applicants will have demonstrated an active interest in broadening and deepening their knowledge of how education, workforce development, and innovation economy investments intersect, and shown how their participation in this program will benefit their professional growth.
What types of stories are you looking for?
We're interested in place-based reporting that examines how education connects to innovation economy investments and workforce development—and in particular, whether and how those investments drive economic mobility. Examples might include:
- A community college in upstate New York or Phoenix ramping up to train workers for the new semiconductor plants—who's getting those jobs, and are they actually good jobs?
- What happens when a rural school district partners with a battery manufacturing facility: Are students from farming families actually landing careers in advanced manufacturing, or are companies importing talent?
- What happened after a Southern city won a major EV battery plant: Did the promised apprenticeships materialize, or are workers stuck in temporary staffing agency roles?
- Whether Black and Latino students in Columbus, Ohio, are accessing the AI and robotics careers blooming around them, or watching opportunity pass them by.
These are just examples, and we’re excited to hear your ideas. We welcome stories that bring a critical lens to these topics and that center the voices of students, workers, educators, community members, and employers.
Who is the audience for these stories?
The primary audiences are the public at large and, in particular, education leaders and staff (K-12 and postsecondary), state and local policymakers, and industry and economic development leaders in regions where education and innovation economy work is converging.
Can I apply if I'm a national reporter?
Yes, as long as your proposed reporting project is place-based—examining impacts in specific communities or regions rather than providing only a national overview. We have a strong preference for local and regional reporters who are embedded in the communities they cover, but national reporters doing place-based work are welcome to apply.
What support will Fellows receive?
Fellows will receive coaching and editing from Work Shift editors, access to a virtual professional development workshop organized by New America, help with story development and source identification, guidance on data resources, and opportunities to connect with other fellows and with experts in education, workforce, and economic development policy.
--
About Work Shift
Work Shift is an independent news site covering the intersection of education, work, and economic opportunity. We report on what's working—and what isn't—in the education and workforce systems meant to connect people to good jobs.
About New America
Our mission is to generate big ideas and bold solutions for a new America. We envision an America that represents and serves the public, where institutions work for all Americans, where workers, families, and communities can thrive, and where people are secure from existential threats. Learn more at newamerica.org.