Applications are now open for the Migrant Women Press Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship 2026–27, a professional development programme supporting emerging women journalists, media practitioners and communications professionals from migrant and adversely racialised backgrounds who are based in Scotland.

The Fellowship has been designed to help participants bridge the gap between education and professional access to the media industry. It combines journalism training, one-to-one mentoring, editorial development, publication opportunities, networking and an industry placement, giving Fellows a structured pathway for strengthening their skills and building professional confidence.

For the 2026–27 cohort, Migrant Women Press plans to select:

Eight Fellows

The programme will run from:

October 2026 to April 2027

Applications close on:

Sunday, 13 September 2026 at 11:59 PM

Applicants are expected to be informed of the outcome by:

28 September 2026

Selected Fellows will receive a total £600 stipend, professional journalism training, mentoring from an experienced journalist or media professional, editorial support to produce an original story, a three-month part-time industry placement, publication opportunities and professional networking.

The Fellowship is specifically designed to build pathways into journalism for migrant and racialised women in Scotland.

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About the Migrant Women Press Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship

The MWP Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship is a journalism training and career-development programme created by Migrant Women Press CIC, an independent nonprofit media organisation led by migrant women and women of colour.

Migrant Women Press works to amplify underrepresented voices through journalism and storytelling while using an intersectional approach to promote a more inclusive and representative media environment.

The Fellowship responds to barriers that migrant and racialised women can face when trying to enter or progress within journalism and media.

Rather than focusing only on formal classroom learning, the programme combines several forms of professional development:

• Journalism skills training
• Editorial support
• Mentoring
• Practical reporting
• Publication
• Industry experience
• Networking
• Career development

The goal is to help Fellows move from academic or early-stage experience toward more confident participation in professional media.

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Fellowship Duration

The 2026–27 Fellowship begins in:

Early October 2026

and finishes in:

April 2027

The broad programme structure is:

• October 2026: Fellowship induction and mentor matching
• October 2026–January 2027: Training, mentoring, reporting, writing and editorial development
• January 2027: Online story publication
• February 2027: Fellowship print magazine prepared
• February–April 2027: Industry placements
• April 2027: Final Fellowship event in Glasgow

The Applicant Guide confirms that the programme begins in early October and continues until April 2027.

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What the Fellowship Offers

The programme provides a comprehensive package of professional development opportunities.

1. Professional Journalism Training

Selected Fellows participate in professional journalism training delivered by:

• Journalists
• Media professionals
• Academics
• Industry experts

The training is intended to help participants strengthen practical reporting skills while also engaging critically with ethics, representation and responsible journalism.

The programme combines technical journalism development with discussion of how journalists represent people and communities in the media.

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Journalism Training Topics

The planned programme includes areas such as:

• Writing journalism articles
• Multimedia journalism
• Fact-checking and verification
• Introduction to investigative journalism
• Media law and ethics
• AI in journalism
• Primary prevention of men’s violence against women and girls and the role of the media
• Representation of “the Other” in the media

Training is expected to run primarily from:

October 2026 to January 2027

with approximately:

Two sessions per month

Most sessions will take place:

Online and mainly in the evenings

This structure is intended to make participation more accessible to Fellows who may also be:

• Studying
• Working
• Caring for others

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Trauma-Informed Reporting Training

A particularly important component of the Fellowship is its focus on:

Trauma-informed journalism

Migrant Women Press emphasizes that journalists have a responsibility to approach sensitive stories with:

• Care
• Respect
• Awareness of potential harm
• Sensitivity toward people who have experienced trauma

This may be especially relevant when reporting on:

• Violence
• Abuse
• Loss
• Distress
• Migrant communities
• Racialised communities
• Victims and survivors

The training aims to help Fellows understand how journalistic choices can affect the people whose stories they report.

Participants will explore how to:

• Avoid causing additional harm
• Interview sensitively
• Represent people with dignity
• Respect agency
• Challenge harmful narratives

The trauma-informed reporting training is expected to be completed online at the Fellow’s own pace by January 2027, followed by a live question-and-answer session.

It is also CPD Certified, with:

Two hours of Continuing Professional Development accreditation

awarded on completion.

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One-to-One Professional Mentoring

Every Fellow will be matched with an experienced:

• Journalist
• Editor
• Producer
• Media professional

The mentoring relationship is intended to provide professional guidance throughout the Fellowship.

Fellows will generally have:

One online one-to-one meeting with their mentor each month.

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What Mentoring Can Include

Mentors may support Fellows with:

• Refining their story idea
• Developing journalistic skills
• Reviewing at least the first full story draft
• Career guidance
• Industry insight
• Professional opportunities where possible
• Professional networking
• Discussing career goals
• Discussing challenges
• Planning next steps

The programme also makes clear that mentors are not responsible for finding Fellows a job or fully editing their work.

Fellows are expected to:

• Take initiative
• Prepare for meetings
• Communicate professionally
• Be open to constructive criticism
• Respect mentors’ time and professional boundaries

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Produce and Publish Your Own Fellowship Story

Producing an original journalistic feature is a central component of the programme.

Each Fellow will develop an original feature story of approximately:

1,000 words

The final story will normally include:

• Research
• At least two interviews
• A short multimedia component

Applicants are asked to pitch one story idea as part of the Fellowship application.

This idea will become the starting point for the reporting project if the applicant is selected.

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Story Topic Requirement

The proposed story should have:

A clear connection to Scotland or communities living in Scotland.

Applicants are not expected to submit a perfectly developed professional pitch.

Migrant Women Press is more interested in:

• The strength of the idea
• Curiosity
• Relevance
• Reporting potential
• The applicant’s thinking about how the story could be developed

Selected Fellows will have opportunities to strengthen and refine their original idea through:

• Mentoring
• Training
• Reporting
• Editorial support

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Story Development Timeline

The Fellowship provides a structured editorial pathway.

October

Fellows develop and refine their story idea with their mentor.

They begin:

• Reporting plans
• Research
• Interviews

October–November

Fellows continue reporting and writing.

They submit a:

First full draft

to their mentor.

November–December

Fellows revise the story based on mentor feedback and submit a:

Second draft

to the Fellowship editor.

December–January

Fellows work with the editor to:

• Respond to professional editorial feedback
• Fact-check
• Complete revisions

January

Stories successfully completing the editorial process are prepared for:

Online publication

February

Published stories are prepared for inclusion in the Fellowship’s:

Print magazine

The visual timeline on page 7 of the Applicant Guide illustrates this progression from story idea to online and print publication.

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£600 Fellowship Stipend

Each selected Fellow will receive:

£600

The stipend recognizes:

• Participation
• Time commitment
• Reporting
• Research
• Story production

The £600 is paid in:

Two instalments

First instalment

£300 in October 2026

This is paid at the beginning of the Fellowship after the Fellowship Agreement has been completed.

Second instalment

£300 toward the end of January 2027

This is paid after the Fellow has completed the editorial process and submitted the final story for publication.

Applicants should therefore understand that the stipend is connected to participation and programme progress rather than being a single payment made before the programme begins.

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Three-Month Industry Placement

Another major component of the Fellowship is a:

Three-month, part-time industry placement

The placement will normally run from:

February to April 2027

and may take place with a:

• Media organisation
• Newsroom
• Communications team

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Industry Placement Workload

Placements will normally require approximately:

One or two days per week

They may be:

• In person
• Online
• Hybrid

The exact arrangement will be agreed between:

• The Fellow
• Host organisation
• Migrant Women Press

and will take into account both the Fellow’s circumstances and the host organisation’s working arrangements.

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What Fellows May Do During Their Placement

Possible activities include:

• Editorial research
• Reporting
• Newsroom shadowing
• Joining editorial meetings
• Story development
• Fact-checking
• Feature production
• Multimedia production
• Podcast work
• Audio production
• Newsletter production
• Social media
• Audience engagement
• Communications work
• Press work

The purpose is to help Fellows understand how journalism and communications teams operate professionally.

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Is the Industry Placement Paid Separately?

No additional payment from the placement host should normally be expected.

The placement forms part of the overall Fellowship.

However, Migrant Women Press states that:

Reasonable travel expenses required for an in-person placement will be covered.

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Professional Networking

Fellows also receive opportunities to build professional relationships with:

• Journalists
• Editors
• Media organisations
• Mentors
• Other Fellows
• Previous Fellowship participants

Networking forms an important part of the programme because access to professional contacts can be particularly valuable for emerging journalists trying to enter the media industry.

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Final Fellowship Event in Glasgow

The Fellowship concludes in:

April 2027

with a final event in:

Glasgow

The event will bring together:

• Fellows
• Mentors
• Industry placement partners
• Supporters

Fellows will also participate in programme evaluation and become part of the:

MWP Fellowship alumni community.

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Who Can Apply?

The Fellowship is intended for emerging women journalists and media or communications professionals from:

Migrant and adversely racialised backgrounds

Applicants must also be based in:

Scotland

for the duration of the Fellowship.

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Academic and Career Eligibility

Applicants should normally meet one of the following conditions:

• Currently studying journalism
• Currently studying media
• Currently studying communications
• Currently studying a related subject

or:

• Have graduated from a relevant programme within the last three years

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What If You Graduated More Than Three Years Ago?

There is some flexibility.

Migrant Women Press states that people who graduated more than three years ago but are still at an early stage of their journalism or media career because circumstances affected their ability to enter or progress in the industry are encouraged to:

Contact Migrant Women Press before applying.

This recognizes that career progression is not always linear.

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Migrant and Racialised Background Eligibility

The programme welcomes women from a range of migration experiences.

The application information specifically welcomes:

• International students
• Refugees
• People seeking asylum
• First-generation migrants
• Second-generation migrants
• Third-generation migrants

The key requirement is that applicants identify as coming from a:

Migrant and/or adversely racialised background.

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Trans Women Are Welcome

The Fellowship is explicitly:

Trans-inclusive

and:

Trans women are welcome to apply.

This is an important part of the programme’s inclusion policy.

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Do You Need Professional Journalism Experience?

No substantial professional experience is required.

The application process is intentionally designed to assess:

• Potential
• Motivation
• Curiosity
• Ideas
• Interests

rather than simply measuring how much professional experience an applicant already has.

Applicants are not given an automatic advantage because they:

• Have more professional experience
• Have already been published by a major organisation
• Have had greater access to industry opportunities

This makes the Fellowship particularly relevant to people who have not yet had extensive professional media access.

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Previous Work Example

Applicants need to provide:

One example of previous work

However, it does not need to have been professionally published.

Possible examples may include:

• Academic work
• Student journalism
• Independent work
• Community media
• Other relevant work

This allows emerging journalists who have not yet built a conventional professional portfolio to apply.

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What Will the Application Ask?

Candidates should be prepared to answer questions concerning:

• Why they want to join the Fellowship
• What matters to them about journalism, media or communications
• Where they would like the Fellowship to take them
• Their professional goals for the next one to three years
• One story idea they want to develop
• One example of previous work

The application is designed to understand the individual applicant rather than simply count previous professional achievements.

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The Story Pitch

One of the most important components of the application is the:

One story idea

Applicants should consider:

• Why the story matters
• Who is affected
• Why it matters in Scotland
• Who they might interview
• What information they would need
• What angle makes the story original

The final story must have a clear connection to Scotland or communities living there.

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Selection Process

The Fellowship uses a structured selection process.

After the deadline, Migrant Women Press will first carry out:

Eligibility checks

Eligible applications will then be independently assessed.

Each eligible application will be reviewed by:

Two external assessors

using the same assessment framework.

The assessment focuses particularly on:

• Potential
• Motivation
• Curiosity
• Ideas

rather than simply prior professional privilege or access.

The programme timeline allocates:

14–27 September 2026

for eligibility checks and independent assessment, with applicants informed by 28 September 2026.

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Number of Fellowship Places

For the 2026–27 programme, Migrant Women Press plans to select:

Eight Fellows.

Because the cohort is relatively small, applicants should expect the selection process to be competitive.

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Can Students Apply?

Yes.

The Fellowship was specifically designed to accommodate:

• Students
• Recent graduates
• Workers
• People with caring responsibilities

Most training takes place online and in the evening.

However, applicants should be realistic about the programme commitment.

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Expected Commitment

Fellows are expected to:

• Attend and actively participate in training
• Meet with their mentor approximately once a month
• Set aside independent time for research
• Conduct interviews
• Write their story
• Fact-check
• Complete revisions
• Meet editorial deadlines
• Participate meaningfully in the industry placement
• Communicate with MWP when difficulties arise
• Participate in evaluation
• Attend the final Glasgow event where possible

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Flexibility and Support

Migrant Women Press recognizes that participants may have:

• Work commitments
• Study commitments
• Caring responsibilities
• Health needs
• Accessibility needs

The programme aims to provide flexibility and support where challenges arise.

At the same time, applicants are asked to consider carefully whether they can realistically participate between October 2026 and April 2027.

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Accessibility and Reasonable Adjustments

The Fellowship emphasizes accessibility.

Applicants who need:

• Reasonable adjustments
• Accessibility support
• Alternative application arrangements

are encouraged to contact Migrant Women Press.

Requesting accessibility support will not disadvantage the application or affect selection.

Information about accessibility requirements will be treated sensitively.

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Alternative Application Support

If completing a written application creates a barrier, applicants are encouraged to contact the organisation to discuss:

• Alternative formats
• Reasonable adjustments
• Other support

Contact:

migrantwomenpress@gmail.com

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Fellowship Timeline at a Glance

According to the Applicant Guide, the main timeline is:

The Applicant Guide notes that programme dates may be subject to change and Fellows will be updated where necessary.

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How to Apply

Applications are submitted using the official online form:

Application form:
https://forms.gle/txTSWKvLXZpDd5Cv5

Before submitting, applicants are strongly encouraged to review:

• Fellowship Concept Note
• Applicant Guide and Q&A
• Fellowship Programme at a Glance

The Applicant Guide specifically recommends checking the full programme commitment before applying.

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Application Deadline

Applications close on:

Sunday, 13 September 2026 at 11:59 PM

Late applications should not be assumed to be accepted.

Candidates should allow enough time to:

• Prepare their story pitch
• Choose a previous work example
• Develop thoughtful application responses
• Request accessibility support if necessary

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Tips for Preparing a Strong Application

1. Focus on Potential, Not Prestige

The Fellowship explicitly says that selection is based on potential and motivation rather than simply previous access to prestigious journalism opportunities.

Do not assume you need:

• Major publications
• National newsroom experience
• A large portfolio

Instead, demonstrate what you want to learn and why.

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2. Develop a Strong Scotland-Connected Story Idea

Your story pitch is important.

A good idea should have:

• Clear relevance
• A defined angle
• Reporting potential
• Real people or communities to speak with
• A meaningful Scotland connection

You do not need to have completed the reporting before applying.

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3. Explain Why Journalism Matters to You

Avoid writing only that journalism is “interesting.”

Explain what draws you to the field.

Perhaps you want to:

• Challenge stereotypes
• Investigate injustice
• Tell underrepresented stories
• Improve public understanding
• Build more inclusive media

Make your motivation specific.

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4. Be Honest About Your Career Stage

The programme is designed for emerging journalists.

You do not need to make yourself appear more experienced than you are.

Instead, explain:

• What you have already done
• What barriers you have faced
• What skills you want to develop
• What you hope to achieve over the next one to three years

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5. Choose Your Work Sample Strategically

Your work example does not need to be professionally published.

Choose the piece that best demonstrates:

• Curiosity
• Research
• Storytelling
• Analysis
• Writing
• Communication

rather than simply choosing the work associated with the most prestigious institution.

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6. Show That You Understand the Commitment

The Fellowship requires work over several months.

Demonstrating that you understand the training, mentoring, story-production and placement commitments can strengthen your application.

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Important Details at a Glance

Organisation: Migrant Women Press

Programme: Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship 2026–27

Number of places: 8

Location requirement: Scotland

Programme duration: October 2026–April 2027

Training: Primarily online

Training period: October 2026–January 2027

Mentoring: One-to-one, normally monthly

Story: Approximately 1,000 words plus at least two interviews and multimedia

Publication: Online and print

Industry placement: Approximately three months, February–April 2027

Placement workload: Normally one or two days per week

Stipend: £600

Travel: Reasonable travel expenses for necessary in-person placements covered

Final event: Glasgow, April 2027

Deadline: 13 September 2026 at 11:59 PM

Application:
https://forms.gle/txTSWKvLXZpDd5Cv5

Questions/accessibility support:
migrantwomenpress@gmail.com

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Conclusion

The Migrant Women Press Emerging Women Journalists Fellowship 2026–27 offers eight emerging women journalists from migrant and adversely racialised backgrounds in Scotland an opportunity to strengthen their journalism skills, gain professional media experience and build meaningful industry connections.

Running from October 2026 to April 2027, the Fellowship combines journalism training, monthly one-to-one mentoring, editorial development, publication, networking and a three-month industry placement.

Selected participants receive a £600 stipend, paid in two £300 instalments, in recognition of their participation and the work involved in researching, reporting and producing their Fellowship story.

Fellows will produce an approximately 1,000-word original feature, normally involving at least two interviews and a multimedia component, with support from their mentor and the Migrant Women Press editorial team.

The programme also provides practical industry experience through a part-time placement with a newsroom, media organisation or communications team between February and April 2027.

Applicants should be based in Scotland, come from a migrant and/or adversely racialised background and normally be studying journalism, media, communications or a related subject, or have graduated from a relevant programme within the last three years. Trans women are welcome to apply.

The Fellowship is designed to assess potential, ideas, motivation and curiosity, meaning applicants do not need extensive professional journalism experience or major publication credits.

Applications close on:

Sunday, 13 September 2026 at 11:59 PM.

Successful applicants are expected to be informed by:

28 September 2026.

To  learn more about this opportunity, VISIT HERE.

To explore more global fellowship, VISIT HERE.