The East-West Center is now accepting applications for two journalism travel-study fellowships: the Fall 2008 Jefferson Fellowships for Journalists and the 2008 Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships.

The Jefferson Fellowships are open to journalists in the United States, Asia and the Pacific Islands, with an application deadline of June 4. The Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships are open to U.S. journalists only, with an application deadline of May 23.

Jefferson Fellowships on “The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election”: The Fall 2008 Jefferson Fellowships program will take place Oct. 18 to Nov. 9, and is open to working print, broadcast, and on-line journalists in the United States, Asia and the Pacific Islands. Five years of experience is preferred. All program and travel costs are funded by a grant from the Freeman Foundation.

The theme for this program is “The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.” Fellows will travel to Honolulu, Hawaii; Phoenix, Arizona; Erie, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; and Washington, D.C. to explore the important issues in the Nov. 4 election, learn about the U.S. political process, observe this historic election and discuss the outcome with U.S. analysts and one another.

After a week of discussion sessions at the East-West Center in Honolulu, participants will travel to various areas of the United States to discuss election issues and attitudes with policymakers, business leaders, community activists and voters from a range of important constituencies. In Phoenix, Arizona, John McCain’s home state, Fellows will explore the complexities of health care and immigration. In Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio, cities in America’s “rust-belt,” the program will focus on attitudes toward the economy, trade, social values and America’s future.

Fellows will observe the election in Ohio, the state that determined the 2004 contest in favor of George Bush and which is predicted to serve as a bellwether state again this year. They will then travel to Washington, D.C. for discussions with analysts, policymakers, journalists and others on what the results mean for the United States and its relations with Asia, the Pacific and the rest of the world.

The application deadline for the Jefferson Fellowships is June 4. See program details at www.eastwestcenter.org/jefferson. Send applications and questions by email to jefferson@eastwestcenter.org or fax to (808) 944-7600. For phone inquiries, please contact Ann Hartman, Jefferson Fellowships Coordinator, at (808) 944-7619.

Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships on “The Aftermath of the Beijing Olympics”: The 2008 Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships program will take place Sept. 11 to 27 and is open to U.S. journalists with at least five years of professional working experience in print, broadcast or online media. The program covers air transportation, lodging, and program-related ground transportation and meals for participating journalists.  Participants are responsible for their own visa fees.

The program will begin with a two-day seminar at the East-West Center in Honolulu, followed by a study tour to Hong Kong and Beijing, Kunming, Shangri-La and Lijiang in mainland China, where fellows will meet with business executives, scholars, journalists, political leaders and government officials.       

The Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships, established in 1996, are co-sponsored by the Better Hong Kong Foundation and the East-West Center to deepen better public understanding in the United States of the diversity and complexity of political, economic, social and cultural issues in Hong Kong and mainland China.

The application deadline for the Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships is May 23. For application information, please visit www.eastwestcenter.org/journalismfellowships and click on “Hong Kong.”

Send applications and questions by email to seminars@eastwestcenter.org, fax to (808) 944-7600), or by post to:

East-West Seminars
ATTN:  Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships
East-West Center
1601 East West Road
Honolulu, HI  96848

For phone inquiries, please contact Marilyn Li, Seminars Specialist, at (808) 944-7258.

For a list of all EWC media programs, see www.eastwestcenter.org/journalismfellowships