The International Press Institute (IPI), the world’s oldest global press freedom organization with members from leading media outlets spanning every continent, on Monday announced the creation of the Li Journalism Fellowship.
The annual, two-month fellowship is named after IPI Vice-Chairman Simon Li, a former assistant managing editor for The Los Angeles Times, and his wife, June, in recognition of their years-long support for IPI and press freedom.
The yearly fellowship will be open to news professionals who receive a mini-sabbatical from the outlet they work for, and will be based at the headquarters of the IPI General Secretariat in Vienna, Austria.
“We hope that this fellowship will go some way towards expressing our enormous gratitude to the Lis, who for many years have demonstrated unwavering support for IPI and its mandate to defend press freedom across the world,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “The fellowship in essence symbolizes a ‘passing of the torch’. We hope it will help younger journalists promote the cause of press freedom.”
Simon Li said: “June and I are thrilled and very honored that IPI has named this fellowship for us. We hope that it will prove a fruitful way both to familiarize more journalists with IPI’s vital work and provide IPI with much needed help in achieving its mission.”
IPI will provide a monthly stipend, in addition to a public transport travel pass. However, fellows will be responsible for covering travel and accommodation costs associated with the fellowship. IPI will assist in the selection of housing.
The fellowship is aimed at young to mid-career journalists, with a minimum of two years reporting experience, who can demonstrate a commitment to excellence, ethical standards and the role of press freedom in sustaining free journalism and fundamental human rights.
While at IPI, the fellow will focus on a research, or other, project agreed on by the fellow and the IPI selection committee. The project must of course include a press freedom aspect.
IPI is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from ethnic minority journalists.