Nieman Fellows Announced for 1997-1998

Twelve U.S. journalists were appointed to the 60th class of Nieman Fellows by the Nieman Foundation this week.

Fellows take a leave of absence from careers in journalism to study at Harvard for a year, Bill Kovach, curator of the Nieman Foundation, said yesterday.

"They choose whatever subject areas they feel they need to strengthen themselves as journalists," he said.

The program itself includes seminars in which the fellows listen to outside speakers as well as share their own expertise with the other group members. Some fellows also serve as tutors in undergraduate houses, Kovach said.

This year's class of fellows was selected from a pool of 98 applicants by a five-member committee, which included Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Ann Marie Lipinski and Sidney Shanberg.

Kovach called the incoming class somewhat "unusual" in that it includes four radio journalists, an "extraordinarily high number" compared to previous years.

"It's beginning to reflect the changing nature of the communications industry," he said.

As the oldest fellowships for journalists in the middle of their careers, the Nieman name is well-known, Kovach said.

"In the U.S., all journalists know what our standards are," he said.

According to Kovach, while the fellowships are based on self-nominations, the knowledge of Nieman standards has consistently produced very strong applicant pools.

"Almost no one applies who's not qualified," he said.

Fellows are selected based on the quality of their work, which is assessed from 10 samples submitted by each applicant, Kovach said.

The American fellows selected this week will be joined by a group of international fellows, to be announced in two weeks.

This year's American fellows are Howard Berkes of National Public Radio (NPR); Uri Berliner of the San Diego Union-Tribune; Christine Chinlund of the Boston Globe; Philip J. Cunningham, a free-lance writer based in Tokyo; Cara DeVito of NBC news; Joe Hallinan, a national correspondent with the Newhouse News Service; Julia Keller of the Colombus Dispatch; Phillip W.D. Martin of WGBH Radio; Bryan Rich, senior international producer of Common Group Productions based in Burundi; Joe Rodriguez of the San Jose Mercury News; David Turnley of the Detroit Free Press; and David Welna of NPR.

The journalists plan to pursue a variety of studies while they are at Harvard, ranging from public policy issues to political science to education. Many of the journalists plan to study moral and ethical issues or international relations

Fellows are selected based on the quality of their work, which is assessed from 10 samples submitted by each applicant, Kovach said.

The American fellows selected this week will be joined by a group of international fellows, to be announced in two weeks.

This year's American fellows are Howard Berkes of National Public Radio (NPR); Uri Berliner of the San Diego Union-Tribune; Christine Chinlund of the Boston Globe; Philip J. Cunningham, a free-lance writer based in Tokyo; Cara DeVito of NBC news; Joe Hallinan, a national correspondent with the Newhouse News Service; Julia Keller of the Colombus Dispatch; Phillip W.D. Martin of WGBH Radio; Bryan Rich, senior international producer of Common Group Productions based in Burundi; Joe Rodriguez of the San Jose Mercury News; David Turnley of the Detroit Free Press; and David Welna of NPR.

The journalists plan to pursue a variety of studies while they are at Harvard, ranging from public policy issues to political science to education. Many of the journalists plan to study moral and ethical issues or international relations