About the Program

Mission

The New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships program provides career development experiences for journalism students and graduates from New Mexico public universities. Operated by the Communication & Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico, the program recruits and selects emerging journalists and matches them with mentors in local newsrooms. We give newsrooms enough money to pay competitive salaries to their fellows and interns. The program creates a powerful classroom-to-career pathway for a diverse selection of students, increases the capacity of local news organizations, encourages innovation, and strengthens democracy. Support for the program comes from the New Mexico Local News Fund, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, and other donors and supporters. 

New for 2024: 12-month Fellowships! 🎉

When we began this program in 2019, stakeholder feedback helped us settle on a nine-month term for the fellowships. Over the past five years, however, we've heard from fellows and newsrooms that a full year would give fellows more time to gain experience and make it easier for them to arrange housing. Accordingly, we're experimenting with a longer term for the 2024-2025 cycle. See the FAQ page for more information.