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Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Announces Fellowship for Journalists with Focus on the Economics of Aging and Work in the United States

Press Release

​​Chicago, September 10, 2014 — The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, in partnership with The Associated Press Media Editors (APME) and with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, announces a 10-month fellowship for journalists that will focus on the economics of aging and work. During the fellowship, the journalist will develop the analytical research skills needed to create a sustained series of news reports dealing with the economics of America’s aging workforce.

“It's a chance to surround yourself with brilliant minds, to silence the daily buzz of the newsroom and to zero in intensely on a fascinating, meaningful subject,” said Matt Sedensky, correspondent with The Associated Press, and the inaugural journalism fellow at The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “You leave the fellowship invigorated, driven, focused and ready for a new chapter in journalism.”
The next AP-NORC Fellow will be selected through a national competition open to journalists with at least five years’ experience and a demonstrated interest in research-based reporting of issues related to America’s aging workforce. The fellow’s salary is competitive. Journalists working in text, radio, television, and online are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from September 10, 2014, until a candidate is selected. The fellowship will begin in January 2015.

“The number of older people remaining on the job has been increasing since the late 1990s,” said Trevor Tompson, vice president for public affairs research for NORC at the University of Chicago and director of the AP-NORC Center. “Older people now represent the fastest-growing segment in the country’s workforce. This fellowship is a great opportunity for a journalist to study this trend which has important implications for individuals, families, employers, and policy.”

The fellowship will have two main components, the opportunity to do in-depth journalism and education and training:

  • The fellow will devote 40 percent of his or her efforts to training and skill development activities. The fellow will have a significant amount of time to undertake formal and informal training in econometric, statistical and other social science research methods to facilitate data-driven journalism. The fellow will be mentored by a University of Chicago faculty member and will have opportunities to take courses and attend conferences and workshops.
  • Sixty percent of the fellow’s time will be spent developing in-depth reporting projects where he or she will obtain hands on experience with the assistance of AP and NORC senior staff. The fellow will join an existing reporting team for the AP-APME “Aging America” project and will work with the AP’s Aging America editor on innovative reporting projects around the economics of working longer. The fellow’s stories will be distributed by AP to its global worldwide audience and its thousands of subscribers and customers across all media platforms.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until a candidate is selected. Candidates will need to submit a resume/CV. Select candidates will be asked for a personal statement, a research statement, and three letters of recommendation. 

“It's a chance to surround yourself with brilliant minds, to silence the daily buzz of the newsroom and to zero in intensely on a fascinating, meaningful subject.”

Matt Sedensky

Correspondent, The Associated Press

“It's a chance to surround yourself with brilliant minds, to silence the daily buzz of the newsroom and to zero in intensely on a fascinating, meaningful subject.”

About AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP. On the Web: www.ap.org.  

About NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.

www.norc.org

Contact: For more information, please contact Eric Young at NORC at young-eric@norc.org or (703) 217-6814 (cell).


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