The Sojourners Journalism Cohort

Overview

The Sojourners Journalism Cohort is a part-time, five-month, remote training program designed to give early-career, non-white writers hands-on, paid training as freelance journalists. The cohort will accept three news reporters and three opinion writers per period who will each write approximately five faith and justice articles for sojo.net over the program.

With mentorship from associate news editor Mitchell Atencio and associate opinion editor Josiah R. Daniels, participants will learn how to develop pitches, write, and revise their work. Cohort members will have the flexibility to do much of their writing on their own time and attend required monthly training sessions. Members of the cohort will have an initial 1:1 meeting with their editor, ongoing communication in a shared Slack station, and schedule additional meetings with their editor as needed throughout the program. At the end of the program participants will complete a program evaluation which helps them reflect on the experience and provide valuable feedback to our organization as we continue to develop this program.

Applications for the Fall 2024 cohort are closed; the next cohort will be for Fall 2025 and applications will be posted early Spring 2025.

Representative journalism

At Sojourners, we believe journalists help articulate the truth about the kind of world we live in and the kind of world we want to see. Yet journalism has been closely intertwined with this nation’s history of race, religion, and democracy; the people reporting the news and the people whose viewpoints the news amplifies do not often reflect the full and diverse promise of the world we inhabit or envision. To help address this critical gap, Sojourners has created the Sojourners Journalism Cohort.

This program provides AAPI, Black, Indigenous, Latine, and/or persons of color the experience they need to build their work writing about issues of religion and social justice. This project will uplift the perspectives of under-represented communities by offering young writers and journalists from these communities mentorship and writing opportunities.

News reporting cohort

Cohort members focused on news reporting will work with associate news editor Mitchell Atencio to report on news stories about and affecting faith communities and social justice movements. During the program, cohort members will receive guidance on interview strategies, pitching and research, news writing, and journalism ethics. People who might be ideally suited for the news reporting cohort could include students in journalism school, recent graduates of journalism programs, people with other writing backgrounds interested in transitioning to news reporting, and early-career journalists wishing to broaden their writing on faith and justice.

Opinion writing cohort

Cohort members focused on opinion and commentary writing will work with associate opinion editor Josiah R. Daniels to write insightful commentaries on contemporary topics and news. Training for opinion columnists will include developing a writing voice, building an argument, and writing compelling pitches. People who might be ideally suited for this program include divinity school students or recent graduates; justice advocates and organizers; or folks who work in ministry contexts who are looking to gain experience writing for a general audience.

Sojourners editorial mission and values

Excellence: Striving to achieve the highest quality of journalism, social analysis, and spiritual writing.
Life and Dignity: Promoting respect and honor for all members of the human family and the sacredness of creation.
Social Justice: The economically poor, politically marginalized, and socially vulnerable have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the church and the nation. We put to the moral test public and ecclesial policy decisions in terms of how they address these moral claims.
Global Community: Recognizing we are part of a global family that seeks peace and justice in all places, we work to center the witness of diverse voices across the globe.

Sojourners is an independent, award-winning print and online magazine of faith, culture, and politics. Our mission is to inspire hope and action by articulating the biblical call to racial and social justice, life and peace, and environmental stewardship.

Our call to prophetic interrogation means we seek the truth as informed by our biblical roots, uncover and explore injustices, and offer solutions consistent with our Christian values. We draw on a long and diverse tradition of Christians following Jesus and seeking justice, across different traditions, cultures, and times in history.

Our journalistic mission includes “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.” In our print and online news, analysis, and spiritual reflection, as well as our multimedia stories, we seek to be fair in our coverage, while not advancing false equivalencies. Our writers have a point of view, and we insist that they be accurate in their reporting and analysis; rigorous, comprehensive, and ethical in their methods; and transparent with readers about how they have arrived at their conclusions.

To Apply

Applications for the fall 2024 cohort are now open. Please use this application form to submit the following materials. Applications must be submitted no later than Monday, May 13, 2024.

Cover Letter

A cover letter introducing yourself, explaining why you are interested in this program, and detailing how you see your work aligning with Sojourners’ editorial mission. Be sure to specify whether you are most interested in the news reporting or opinion writing cohort.

Writing samples (2-3)

Two pieces of published or unpublished writing that you feel gives a good sense of your personal voice or reporting style, ideally non-academic writing. (Reported pieces from journalism classes are acceptable).

Resume

A copy of your resume

FAQ

Who qualifies for the program?

AAPI, Black, Indigenous, Latine, and/or persons of color who are early in their careers or trying to develop a career as a writer. This can include college students, recent graduates, or people looking to break into opinion journalism or news reporting. Candidates should have less than 3 years of professional experience as a journalist.

How much will I be paid?

Cohort members will be paid $400 per month, for a total of $2,000 by the completion of the program. Failure to complete the program requirements may result in forfeited payment.

What is the duration of the cohort?

Five months. (See the meeting dates below.)

Where is the cohort based?

The program is fully remote; Sojourners is based in Washington, D.C. All sessions will be conducted over Zoom.

How much will I write?

Cohort members will write approximately five pieces at 1,000 words each, with flexibility to write more concise pieces, or fewer lengthy pieces, at their editor’s discretion.

What are the meeting requirements?

Cohort members will attend a minimum of five total meetings: an introduction and closing meeting, and three training sessions, all listed below. Each of these sessions will last 45 minutes. Other meetings will be at the discretion of cohort members, in consultation with their editor.

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 3:00-3:45 pm EST (introduction meeting)
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 3:00-3:45 EST
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 3:00-3:45 EST
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 3:00-3:45 EST
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 3:00-3:45 EST (closing meeting)

What if I miss a meeting?

Cohort members are expected to attend all five meeting sessions listed above, though an absence from one session will be permitted. Missing more than one session will need to be approved by Sojourners.

What will I write about?

Cohort members will broadly write about faith and justice, aligning their work with Sojourners’ editorial mission. Possible topics might include things like racism and Christian nationalism, poverty, or war and nonviolence. Please check out the stories published on sojo.net to get a sense of what we cover.

Do I have to be a Christian to be part of this cohort? Do I have to be religious or believe in God?

No. Sojourners is an ecumenical Christian organization, but we have always welcomed writers who were people of other faiths — or no faith at all. We do require that all cohort members align their work with Sojourners’ editorial mission and be enthusiastic about covering topics related to both faith and justice.

Will I have to pitch my own stories?

Yes. You will pitch approximately one story a week. You will develop your own ideas for what you wish to write about, pitch that idea to your editor, and then work with your editor to refine that pitch as needed. Reporting cohort members may also be assigned stories.

Will I have to interview people?

Reporters will be required to conduct approximately three interviews for each piece. Columnists will consult their editor.

Will I be able to receive college credit or internship school credit through this program?

No.

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Email us at journalismcohort@sojo.net