What Happens When a Columbia Journalism Grad Chooses Nonprofit Journalism?
“LRAP let me continue to do the work — rather than look for work outside of journalism.”
When she applied to Columbia Journalism School, Susanna Granieri, ’22 M.S., already had a vision for her future. “I wanted to learn from the best of the best,” she said. “It had always been said that Columbia Journalism School creates some of the top journalists in the world.”
She was especially drawn to the chance to study with award-winning professionals who had done the work themselves: “They have a different way of teaching, and I think that was really important to me: to really speak to someone that’s been on the ground.”
So, once she got in: “it was an easy choice.”
Pursuing Purpose-Driven Work
Today, Granieri is a staff writer at First Amendment Watch, a nonprofit newsroom housed at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She’s also an editorial assistant for Religion News Service and a freelancer for Delaware Currents, where she reports on climate issues along the Delaware River.
“I’d always been really interested in the protection of journalism as a whole,” she said — and this interest in media law and press protections made First Amendment Watch a natural fit. Her work there is also what made her eligible to apply to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).
Building a Career in Nonprofit Journalism
Granieri learned about LRAP through a social media post from Dean Jelani Cobb — and encouragement from an editor to apply. With a combination of scholarship and federal loans funding her education, admission to the program made a real difference.
“I took out the loans in expectation that I’d be paying high sums each month in response to my degree,,” she said. “But [LRAP] has already made that more feasible to me. And, it lets me continue to do the work rather than look for work outside of journalism.”
A Broader Impact on the Industry
LRAP has also shaped how Granieri thinks about her long-term future. The program has deepened her personal interest in nonprofit work, and she believes Columbia’s support of this path helps elevate the field as a whole.
“A lot of people look at Columbia Journalism School and see something that produces highly trained journalists,” she said. “It brings those journalists into nonprofit and more local news sectors… and elevates coverage.”
“Over time, I've seen a real hyper-focus on nonprofit media — and I think that'll just continue to grow.”
For Granieri, the support she received from Columbia and LRAP has allowed her to stay focused on meaningful, mission-driven reporting — and to build a sustainable career around it.
“It gives you more of an inside look, even in the back-end operations, of how journalism works,” she said.
She’s part of a growing network of alumni pursuing journalism in its many evolving forms — not just in legacy outlets, but in nonprofit, regional and digital-first spaces. And as the field continues to shift, her experience stands as a reminder of what’s possible when institutions invest in the public interest — and the people who serve it.
Committed to Journalism in the Public Interest?
Columbia Journalism School is proud to support graduates working in local and nonprofit newsrooms through the first-of-its-kind Loan Repayment Assistance Program.
Visit the LRAP program page for eligibility details and application information.