The fellows were selected from a diverse group of candidates who exemplify the center’s mission of informing and shaping the way we cover race, gender, and civil and human rights.
“In a challenging moment for our industry, we had a very competitive and ambitious group of submissions,” said Robe Imbriano, Ira A. Lipman Associate Professor of Journalism and Director of the Center. “I’m truly encouraged for the future of reporting in these vital subject areas.”
The 2024 $10,000 fellowship recipients are:
- Jordan Michael Smith, a contributing editor to The New Republic and independent journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Atlantic and elsewhere.
- Aaron Nelsen, trending news editor at the Asheville Citizen-Times in North Carolina, and a contributing writer for Texas Monthly
Professor Imbriano led the selection committee, who included Columbia Journalism Professors Dale Maharidge and Joanne Faryon, and Adjunct Associate Professor Dolores Barclay, Lipman program manager.
“We’re exceedingly excited to welcome Jordan and Aaron into the CJS fold,” said Jelani Cobb, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism, and the Lipman Center’s inaugurating director. “Impressed by their contributions to civil and human rights journalism, we're happy to have these fellowships that allow them to continue and expand upon their work.”
The Lipman Center, directed by Professor Imbriano, Emmy Award-winning showrunner of Hulu’s “Killing County,” and showrunner of ABC’s “Soul of a Nation,” convenes leaders in journalism and civil and human rights and conducts research around social justice issues. The center enhances the academic experience of current journalism school students by contributing to curricula design and developing student activities inspired by the center’s work.
At the heart of the center’s mission is the establishment of the annual Lipman Fellowship, intended to produce significant civil and human rights reportage, and The Lipman Center Initiative in Reporting on Race and Criminal Justice, a reporting project for local newsrooms to investigate systemic racism in the criminal justice system.
For more information about the Lipman Fellowships, please visit https://journalism.columbia.edu/lipman-center
