Purpose: The Neil Isaacs and Frank Wright '50 Fellowship in Investigative Journalism was established in 2006 by Ian Isaacs '77 and Cliff Wright '78 to give Carleton students unparalleled experience in the world of investigative journalism. The paid summer fellowship is awarded to one sophomore or junior with demonstrated journalistic talent.

Fellows work through the Center for Investigative Reporting under the supervision of the Logan Distinguished Professor of Investigative Journalism, an endowed chair at the Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. This position is currently held by Lowell Bergman, 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner for Journalism in the Public Interest.

Previous fellow Taylor Valore '06 contributed reporting to the 2006 FRONTLINE documentary The Enemy Within and authored a story featured on the PBS website. Read more about Taylors experience below.

Responsibilities: Fellows can expect to be given a range of responsibilities in a fast-paced environment ranging from fact-checking to field work, to courtroom document research to conducting telephone interviews. Workdays can sometimes be long, but are always exciting. Fellows are given significant leeway in their responsibilities, and it is expected that they will take advantage of this opportunity. This fellowship is designed for self-starters and creative thinkers.

Funding: Selected fellow will be awarded $3000 for 12 weeks over the summer. No assistance is provided in setting up transportation or housing in Berkeley; these responsibilities are left to the fellow.

Timeline:

• February 3, 2012: Applications due to the Office of Student Fellowships
• Mid- to late-February: Interviews
• March, 2012: Finalists selected
• April, 2012: Selected fellow notified

Eligibility:

• Fellowship is intended for sophomores and juniors
• Students studying in any discipline are encouraged to apply
• Diverse academic and work experience are appreciated
• Previously published articles are not a requirement
• Superior writing and research skills are a must

Selection Criteria: Applicants must have superior writing and research abilities. Because conducting interviews and interacting with sources is an essential task of the interns work, excellent interpersonal skills are also important. Weight is also given to the applicants research and work experience, whether in journalism or in fields whose familiarity would contribute to insightful analysis. Finally, because of the sometimes-intense demands of the fellowship, the demonstrated ability to work in high-pressure situations is a factor. Fellows will be expected to be smart, adaptable, quick on their feet, and imbued with a strong sense of personal and professional ethics.

Application Process: Those interested should submit six paper copies of their application to the Office of Student Fellowships office, Laird 132, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 3, 2012. An electronic copy should also be submitted to Karen Moldenhauer (kmoldenh@carleton.edu). This includes:

1. A cover letter to Mr. Lowell Bergman;
2. One writing sample of no more than 500 words, that demonstrates the ability to analyze and simplify complex topics;
3. Your resume;
4. Answers to the three questions below in five or fewer sentences:
   • A quality investigative reporter must be the ultimate chameleon. Can you fit in at (1) an exclusive country club? (2) a working class bar? (3) an artsy joint? Prove it.
   • What are one (or two) of the best and as-yet unreported investigative stories that could be written about Carleton College and/or the Northfield area?
   • Under what conditions, if any, would you tell a blatant lie in order to get your hands on information necessary to break a story of significant social importance?
5. One letter of recommendation from either a work supervisor or professor (not necessarily from Carleton) who is familiar with the applicants abilities with regard to some of the above selection criteria.

In addition to the application, finalists will also be screened by a panel of working journalists and a Carleton faculty member.

2011 Prize Recipient: Emily Hartley '12

2010 Prize Recipient: Alex Brewer '12

2009 Prize Recipient: Benjamin Blink '10

2008 Prize Recipient: Daniella DeFranco '09

2007 Prize Recipient: Benjamin Lurie '09

First Carleton Intern: Taylor Valore '06 contributed reporting to the 2006 FRONTLINE documentary The Enemy Within and authored an upcoming story featured on the PBS website. Taylor is happy to take questions on the fellowship and can be reached at tvalore@gmail.com. He writes of the experience, Working for Lowell Bergman was an incredible experience that Ill never forget. Every day was an adventure, and my opinions were respected as though I had be working there forever. I was trusted with conducting interviews with former U.S. Attorneys, national policy experts and anyone else I had the guts to call. I even got to see them interview a former FBI agent quite an experience! My boss worked with me to develop ideas for an article that would eventually become the summers main project. Aside from that, I was usually fact checking, summarizing analysis and reviewing interview questions. It was a fantastic summer, and I recommend it to anybody interested in an incredible exposure to journalism.

Faculty adviser: Elizabeth Ciner, Director of Student Fellowships, x4555