Yale Journalism Initiative

Our Story

The Yale Journalism Initiative began in 2006 with a generous grant from Steven Brill ’72 LAW ’75, the founder of The American Lawyer magazine and Court TV, and his wife, Cynthia Margolin Brill ’72. It has since benefited from the generosity of Bob Woodward ’65 and Elsa Walsh, as well as Roger Strong and Bradley Graham. Its mission is to encourage and equip students in Yale College, and in its graduate and professional schools, who aspire to contribute to democracy in the United States and around the world by becoming journalists.

Believing that the best preparation for a career in writing is a broad, liberal-arts education, Yale does not offer a journalism major. There are numerous opportunities at Yale to study writing and to work for student publications, and the Initiative aims to further support certain students by offering them a) admission to a selective advanced seminar in the craft of journalism; b) resources, including financial support as needed, to find a summer internship in reporting; c) and, before and upon graduation, career counseling and assistance in reaching alumni already in the field. Students who finish the requirements receive the designation Yale Journalism Scholar, which has become a respected credential in journalism, assuring that the scholar is capable of rigorous and fair reporting at the highest level.

Many of the country’s finest journalists are Yale graduates, including Bob Woodward of The Washington Post, Jacob Weisberg of Slate, Jane Mayer and Sarah Stillman of The New Yorker, Ari Shapiro of NPR, Paul Steiger of ProPublica, and many more. In recent years, our alumni have secured jobs at The New York Times, The Economist, Buzzfeed, The Nation, The Los Angeles Times, and most other leading news outlets. The Yale Journalism Initiative is designed to help current Yale students take their places in this tradition.

Becoming a Scholar

Joining the YJI as a scholar requires four steps.

  1. Enroll in English 467: Journalism, the prerequisite course for the YJI, which is offered both terms. As with every creative-writing seminar, admission is at the discretion of the professor, who will consider applicants' past courses and writing samples. Students should check with the English department about application deadlines, which are often before the beginning of the term, or even in the prior semester.
  2. Complete a summer internship, approved by the YJI director, at a newspaper or magazine. Students may seek career advice from YJI staff and may be eligible for grants of up to $5,000, depending on need and available resources.
  3. Either publish one full-length feature or five shorter articles in a non-Yale magazine or newspaper; publish two full-length magazine articles in a Yale publication; or hold a senior editorial position at a Yale publication.
  4. Complete either an advanced writing course, besides ENGL 467, in the English Department; any writing course in a different department; or a similar course at a graduate or professional school. Students interested in nonfiction writing should consult the wide offerings in Yale College (taught by professors including Alan Burdick, Anne Fadiman, Cynthia Zarin, Carl Zimmer, James Surowiecki,  Margaret Spillane, Sarah Stillman and Verlyn Klinkenborg), as well as the course catalogs of Yale’s other schools.

Email the faculty director, Haley Cohen Gilliland, at haley.cohengilliland@yale.edu, for more information.

What if I don’t get into the gateway class?

Students may apply to English 467 any semester at Yale, and may apply even if rejected before. But be mindful that the Yale Journalism Initiative exists for all Yale students. First, sign up for our newsletter by writing to angela.perez@yale.edu or elena.debre@yale.edu with “newsletter” in the subject line; you will get a weekly digest of job postings, upcoming deadlines, and on-campus events related to journalism and nonfiction writing. Second, feel free to schedule a meeting with YJI faculty director Haley Cohen Gilliland (at haley.cohengilliland@yale.edu) to talk about getting involved in journalism at Yale. Third, consider one of the many other writing classes at Yale, like English 120, English 121, or Daily Themes. See the online course catalog for the dozens of classes in writing at Yale. Finally, write for a publication! Yale has dozens of them, most open to anyone: The Yale Daily News, The Yale Herald, The New Journal, The Yale Scientific, DownThe Globalist, and more. Check them out.

YJI Jobs, Internships, & Fellowships Database

Find in the sections below helpful articles, resources and opportunity notices that might help you in your ongoing pursuit of journalism; these have been referred by YJI staff, Yale students, and Yale alums. Please note that the external sites are neither created nor maintained by Yale staff; therefore, Yale is not responsible for the content presented therein. In addition to our exclusive postings, we aim to cull the best from other databases, including those maintained by New York University, UC-Berkeley, JournalismJobs.com, Mediabistro.com, Ed2010.com, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. International newspapers can be found at thepaperboy.com. Many Yale fellowships, including those for independent reporting and internship support, can also be found by searching the database of the Center for International and Professional Experience. Again, more news is always available in our newsletter. Yale students looking for jobs and internships should also consult with Derek Webster, of Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, and with YJI director Haley Cohen Gilliland.

Finally, many small newspapers will be happy to have a poorly paid summer intern to help cover local news. If there’s some town you’d like to get to know better, write to the news editor of its local newspaper and offer your services for the summer. The smaller the town (and its newspaper), the better your odds for success.

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Job Search Resources

The Office of Career Strategy collects information about Yale College graduates. This is a great resource tool that allows users …

In an effort to support students pursuing careers in the nonprofit, government and the arts sectors, those interviewing for national …

FindYourNews.org

FindYourNews.org is a place for you to discover and connect with nonprofit newsrooms that are producing fact-based, public service journalism.

Explore Job Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Search continually updated U.S. market trends to learn about job types (job functions), growth trends, and desired skills. The results will include general information about each job (functional area), employment trends from the past two years and projections for the next 10 years, employers that have that role, desired education level, skills for the position, and more!

TWO WAYS TO SEARCH:

  1. Find Career Data by Selecting Keywords: Enter keywords of various job titles and choose a state or search nationwide to learn more about that job.
  2. Filter by Industry and Occupation: Search by industry and choose among popular occupations/job titles within that industry.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

YC Career Outcomes

The Office of Career Strategy collects information about Yale College graduates. This tool allows users to search outcomes by year and major. Please visit Statistics & Reports for more information on detailed reports.

Helpful Tips for the Interactive Tool:

  • There is no Enter or Submit Button  Results will appear automatically with your selections
  • Choose ‘All Years’ or ‘All Majors’- For results across years and majors, or check one for more granular results.
  • The tool will return results with at least five responses – For small majors, choosing ‘All Years’ is more likely to show results
  • Default results will show the most recent Class Year.
  • Uncheck the selected major(s) to reset your search.
  • To ensure confidentiality, results are reported in the aggregate and more granular data is not available through this tool.
  • First Destination Summaries are based on the knowledge rate of graduate outcomes six months after graduation according to National Association of Colleges and Employers guidelines.
  • If you require additional information contact the Office of Career Strategy

Most Recent Class Overview

Knowledge Rate Success Rate Mean Starting Salary Top Five Industries
90.3% of those graduating between July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023 94.0% employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation $89,622 among graduates employed full-time in the United States Education, Financial Services, Technology, Consulting, and Healthcare

 

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Employment Industry and Function
  • Size of the Organization
  • Starting Salary
  • Time of Year Offer Received
  • Internships, Research, and Study Abroad Experiences
  • First Destination Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Advanced Degrees Pursued

First Destination

First Destination refers to the postgraduate plans of Yale College graduates six months after graduation. The pursuits of Yale graduates include employment, graduate school, independent research, military service, and more.

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Address

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New Haven, CT 06510

SERVICE HOURS

Day of the week
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Friday 8:30am - 5pm 8:30am - 4:30pm

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days.