Shorenstein Center Welcomes New Fellows

This semester’s class of fellows at the Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy will focus on issues ranging from new media in Zimbabwe to the economic impact of climate change policy, the center announced Monday.

The fellowship program was founded along with the Shorenstein Center in 1986. During their time at the center, fellows complete research projects and spend time interacting with Kennedy School students and faculty.

After writing a cover story for Time Magazine about Al Gore and his work on climate change, Eric A. Pooley began working on a book about the politics of climate policy.

While at the center, Pooley plans to research how the press is writing about the climate issue and the economic impact of climate legislation, and will eventually adapt his research paper into a chapter in his book.

“Now that I’m starting to write, it’s just invaluable to have so many wonderful people to bounce my ideas off of,” said Pooley, a former managing editor of Fortune Magazine.

Prospective fellows are chosen by a selection committee headed by Shorenstein Center director Alex S. Jones. Jones said the committee considers both the applicants’ career background and intended research topic when selecting the fellows.

“The fellowship program is so prestigious, I was happy to even get to apply,” said Edward Schumacher-Matos, the founding editor of The Wall Street Journal Americas and a former Buenes Aires bureau chief for The New York Times.

Schumacher-Matos, who also served as a visiting professor at the Center for Latin American Studies last fall, will be examining the role of immigration on the presidential election.

“The amount of talent among the other fellows and the faculty here is incredible,” said Schumacher-Matos. “It’s a golden opportunity to share experiences, bounce ideas off each other, and learn.”

Sandra Nyaira, a reporter for the Association of Zimbabwe Journalists, and Rory O’Connor, a journalist and president of the media company Globalvision, will also be fellows.

In addition to the four fellows, former Washington Post political reporter and editor Maralee Schwartz will serve as a visiting lecturer and teach a class on the 2008 presidential campaign.

—Staff writer Lauren D. Kiel can be reached at ldkiel@fas.harvard.edu.