The Open City Editorial Fellowship 2025

APPLICATIONS DUE: December 31, by 11:59 PM ET
FELLOWSHIP STARTS: February 1, 2025

 The Asian American Writers' Workshop (AAWW) is now accepting applications for the 2025 Open City Editorial Fellowship. This fellowship is open to emerging writers and editors based in New York City who are passionate about documenting the stories of immigrant and Muslim communities in the tristate area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. It offers a unique opportunity to work closely with the editorial team of Open City, a section of The Margins dedicated to covering the Asian American, Muslim, and Arab communities in the tristate area. This year, the fellowship will focus on editorial skills development, offering hands-on experience in researching, editing, and writing stories for Open City.

Fellowship Overview: The fellow will work directly with the Senior Editor of Open City and collaborate with the editorial team to support the section's coverage of social justice issues such as immigration, racial discrimination, gentrification, and community policing. The fellow will be expected to commit at least four hours a week from February 2025 through January 2026 and will occasionally meet in person at AAWW’s Chelsea office.

Fellowship Benefits:

• A $5,000 stipend;
• Access to AAWW events, conferences, and workshops;
• Access to AAWW’s office and library;
• Mentorship from The Margins editorial team.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborating on story edits with the Senior Editor;
• Screening pitches and fact-checking stories;
• Writing stories for Open City;
• Copyediting stories on a tight deadline;
• Researching potential stories and identifying emerging writers;
• Regular check-ins with the Senior Editor or an AAWW staff member every two weeks.

Qualifications:

• A strong interest in Asian, Asian American, and Asian diasporic literature, politics, and history, with a focus on immigrant and Muslim communities;
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills;
• Knowledge of journalistic standards and practices;
• Experience guiding writers through the editorial process and delivering polished work;
• Some experience fact-checking stories;
• A collaborative approach to editing and writing;
• Familiarity with The Chicago Manual of Style and copyediting (preferred);
• On-the-ground knowledge of immigrant and Muslim communities in the tristate area (preferred).

Application Instructions: Fill out the application form below by December 31, 2024. You will be asked to submit:

• A cover letter;
• Résumé;
• A pitch for a story you’d like to write for Open City;
• Two writing samples of journalistic work.

We look forward to receiving applications from emerging writers and editors eager to help tell the stories of New York City's dynamic immigrant communities!