The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard has announced its named fellowships for the Class of 2027.
These fellowships are supported by foundation grants and endowed funds that provide important financial assistance to journalists from the United States and abroad.
Two journalists have been selected as the Murrey Marder Nieman Fellows in Watchdog Journalism: Ellen Nakashima, a reporter for The Washington Post who covers intelligence and other national security matters, and Cecilia Reyes, an investigative reporter in the Midwestern U.S. who focuses on housing, government accountability, and the consequences of social injustice. The fellowship honors the memory of Murrey Marder, a longtime Washington Post reporter and 1950 Nieman Fellow who funded and helped found the Nieman Watchdog Project.
Romina Mella, managing editor of the Peruvian investigative media outlet IDL-Reporteros, is the 2027 Knight Latin American Nieman Fellow. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has funded dozens of Nieman Fellowships for journalists from Latin America since 1981.
Justin Jin, a photographer, writer, and National Geographic Explorer, is the 2027 Liang-Zhou Nieman Fellow. The fellowship honors the memory of the influential Chinese political theorist, philosopher, and journalist Liang Qichao and his eldest grandchild, Zhou Nianci.
Amber Bracken, a Canadian photojournalist who explores the intersections of race, environment, culture, and colonization, is the 2027 Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellow. The fellowship is sponsored by the Martin Wise Goodman Trust. A 1962 Nieman Fellow, Goodman was president of Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.
Erin Smith, a Boston-based journalist who most recently was a senior engagement editor at Politico, is the 2026-27 Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellow in Journalism Innovation. The fellowship is a collaborative project supported by the Nieman Foundation and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard and is designed to generate new ideas to advance quality journalism.
Maurice Oniang’o, a Kenyan investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker whose work exposes systemic abuses and institutional failures across East Africa, is the Barry Bingham Jr. Nieman Fellow. Bingham, a 1956 Harvard graduate, was the editor and publisher of the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times in Kentucky.
Vivian Pasquet, a reporter and editor for Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin who specializes in narrative science journalism, is the Carroll Binder Nieman Fellow. The Binder Fund honors 1916 Harvard graduate Carroll Binder, who expanded the Chicago Daily News Foreign Service, and his son, Carroll “Ted” Binder, a 1943 Harvard graduate.
Harriet Torry, The Wall Street Journal’s economics correspondent for the Western U.S., is the Louis Stark Nieman Fellow. The fellowship honors the memory of the New York Times reporter who was a pioneer in the field of labor reporting.
Juan Pablo Barrientos, the investigations editor at CasaMacondo, a Colombian digital news outlet he co-founded in 2023, is the Robert Waldo Ruhl Nieman Fellow. Ruhl, a 1903 Harvard graduate, was editor and publisher of the Medford Mail-Tribune in Oregon from 1911-1967.
Sagar, a senior staff writer for the Indian magazine The Caravan who specializes in longform and investigative journalism, is the Atsuko Chiba Nieman Fellow. The Chiba fellowship was established in memory of Atsuko Chiba, a 1968 Nieman Fellow from Japan.
Hilo Glazer, a writer for Haaretz Magazine in Israel, and Oksana Parafeniuk, an independent Ukrainian photojournalist based in Kyiv, Ukraine, are the 2027 Ruth Cowan Nash Nieman Fellows. Nash was best known for her work as an Associated Press war correspondent during World War II. She also served as president of the Washington Press Club.
George Butler, a British illustrator who documents the impact of war and humanitarian crises across the globe, is the William Montalbano Nieman Fellow. Montalbano was a 1970 Nieman Fellow and a prize-winning Los Angeles Times reporter who reported from 100 countries during his 38-year career.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard educates leaders in journalism, promotes innovation, and elevates the standards of the profession. More than 1,800 journalists from 100 countries have been awarded Nieman Fellowships since 1938. The foundation also publishes Nieman Reports, an online magazine covering thought leadership in journalism; Nieman Journalism Lab, a website reporting on the future of news, innovation, and best practices in the digital age; and Nieman Storyboard, a website showcasing exceptional narrative journalism and nonfiction storytelling.
