The C. Edwin Baker Media Policy Fellowship
The C. Edwin Baker Media Policy Fellowship is the premier fellowship program for graduate students interested in the intersection between media and communications scholarship and policy advocacy.
Graduate students are given the opportunity to connect their research and coursework to the critical media-policy issues of our time.
The C. Edwin Baker Media Policy Fellowship Program is supported through a generous gift from Baker’s estate.
Each year, Free Press awards two 12-week fellowships for graduate students interested in gaining practical experience in media-policy research and organizing. The fellowships are based in either our Washington, D.C. office or our office in Florence, Massachusetts. Stipends are available. Fellowships are designed primarily for the summer, but we consider fall and spring placements.
The ideal candidate embodies the values of C. Edwin Baker, who was not only a widely respected First Amendment scholar but also an active proponent of public interest-driven media policy.
We encourage applications from candidates of all academic disciplines. Applicants should understand the nature of Free Press’ work, which includes public-interest advocacy, coalition building, grassroots outreach, event organizing and website production and maintenance.
Qualifications:
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Fellows must be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment where staff must be responsive to shifting circumstances in Washington and elsewhere.
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Fellows must possess excellent organizational, communications and research skills.
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Some knowledge of federal legislative and regulatory processes is required.
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A working knowledge of Net Neutrality, press freedom, media consolidation and other core Free Press issues is highly preferred.
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Excellent writing and public speaking skills, as well as facility with online spreadsheets and software, are vital.
Please note: We are not currently accepting applications.
About C. Edwin Baker
C. Edwin Baker was one of the country’s preeminent media policy and First Amendment scholars. As the Nicholas F. Gallicchio Professor of Law and Communication at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Baker was a respected authority in the fields of constitutional law, communications law and free speech. However, his impact did not end at the campus gate. Baker was a tireless advocate and public intellectual who testified regularly on Capitol Hill, advised numerous nonprofit organizations and helped shape some of the most pressing debates of our time. Baker advised Free Press on numerous occasions.
About Free Press: Free Press fights to save Net Neutrality, achieve affordable internet access for all, uplift the voices of people of color in the media, challenge old and new media gatekeepers to serve the public interest, end unwarranted surveillance, defend press freedom and reimagine local journalism.