The Monitor’s participation in the Poynter-Koch Fellowship

Three Monitor staffers are enrolled in the program, which helps young journalists develop their skills.

The Christian Science Monitor is committed to developing its next generation of reporters. Monitor journalism requires some unusual skills, like the ability to see the world differently than is sometimes the habit in journalism – constructively, deeply, and with credible hope, for instance. But it also just means being an excellent journalist – understanding ethics, law, and the basics of reporting in a multimedia world.

That is why three of our staff members are participating in the Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism Fellowship though the summer of 2020. At a time when the industry is facing significant financial headwinds, the fellowship offers us an opportunity to help young staff members receive professional instruction and interact with their peers across a range of publications. (The Fellowship pays a percentage of participants’ salaries, offsetting costs.)

The Monitor is aware of the political activities of Charles Koch, chairman of the Charles Koch Institute that runs the program. The participation agreement states that the Monitor “maintains complete editorial control over the Fellows’ work and is solely responsible for the work produced by the Fellows.” Moreover, the Poynter Institute has an exemplary record as a center of journalistic excellence and integrity. The Fellowship is a unique opportunity to expand our staff members’ horizons and skills.