The program is designed to meet the public interest in business and economics news and the demand for trained editors and reporters in the field. In scope and depth, it is considered the most comprehensive business journalism fellowship in the country. Eligible Knight-Bagehot fellows may qualify for a Master of Science degree in journalism upon completion of this rigorous program.

Conducted during Columbia’s academic year from August through May, the fellowship accepts up to 10 fellows each year. Fellows receive free tuition plus a stipend to offset living expenses in New York City. For the 2013 academic year, a stipend of $50,000 will be granted to each fellow. Housing is available in a Columbia-affiliated facility.

The fellowship is named for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, of Miami, which has established an endowment for the program; and Walter Bagehot, the 19th-century editor of The Economist. The Knight Foundation has been the principal sponsor of the fellowship since 1987. The program also depends on grants from a number of other charitable foundations, corporations and publishing organizations for a portion of its annual budget.

The fellowship’s sponsors have no role in the selection of fellows or the organization of the fellowship’s curriculum, which are controlled by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

The Knight-Bagehot Fellowship 2011 Annual Report

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