The National Press Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) established in 1975 to provide educational opportunities for journalists in Washington, around the U.S. and internationally.
Successful
2008-2009 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship
The Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowships are a unique program to help journalists assigned to cover Washington on behalf of regional news organizations.
Over the years, the program has become a "rite of passage" for regional reporters and editors, of all ages, who must contend with Washington's torrent of complicated news. Through seminars, demonstrations and field trips, Paul Miller Fellows unlock the intricacies of the Nation's Capital and the federal government, thereby enriching their reporting for readers, listeners and viewers back home.
The Paul Miller Fellowship, as it is commonly known, was created in 1987 to honor its namesake, a former president and chairman of both The Gannett Co., Inc., and The Associated Press. He was the AP's bureau chief from 1943-1946. The Freedom Forum, the international journalism foundation based in Arlington, Va., originated the Paul Miller Fellowship and operated it through the 1999-2000 session. The National Press Foundation began operating the program in April 2000, with the assistance of a financial grant from The Freedom Forum.
Paul Miller Fellows dedicate one day a month for nine months, September through May, to intensive study sessions on such subjects as the federal budget and appropriations processes, campaign finance, congressional lobbying and the federal court system. The emphasis is always on translating what happens in Washington into news of value to regional news organizations.
2008-2009 Dates and Topics
September 8, 2008
- Think Tanks
- The Lobbyists
- The Regulators
- Federal Register
October 6, 2008
- Campaign Finance
- Campaign Truth Telling
- The Presidential Transition
- What to know about Voting
- Reading and Writing about Polls
December 8, 2008
- Introductions and Program Outlook
- Databases for Covering Congress
- On the Ground – A reporter’s view
- House Press Gallery
- Senate Radio-TV Gallery
- Dealing with Communications Staff
- Congress and the Press
January 12, 2009
- Overview of the Appropriations Process
- Developing Budget Stories
- What to Expect in the 2009-10 Budget
- The Digital TV Transition
- Reporting the Digital Transition
February 2, 2009
- Introductions and Agency Profiles Discussion
- Covering the Supreme Court
- Briefing on the Court
- Administrative Office of U.S. Courts
March 2, 2009
- Investigating Defense
- Military and Homeland Security
- Defense Press Operations Discussion
- Covering the Pentagon
April 6, 2009
- Understanding the Recession
- Federal Financial Institutions and their Accounting
- Introduction to the Federal Reserve
- Fed Policy in a Crisis
May 4, 2009
- Slide Show Storytelling
- Blogging discussion
- Taking Better Pictures
- Video Recording and Interviewing
- Audio Recording and Editing
June 8, 2009
- Inspectors General
- Bird-dogging the Bailout; Staking Out the Stimulus
- Propublica
Resources
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Investigating Defense [download]
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Understanding the Recession [download]
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Federal Financial Institutions and their Accounting [download]
Douglas Elliott [read bio]Fellow, Economic Studies, Initiative on Business and Public Policy, Brookings -
Online Reporting [download]
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Covering the Supreme Court [download]
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Administrative Office of U.S. Courts [download]
Dick Carelli [read bio]Senior Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Public Affairs of the Administrative Office of the United States Court -
Military and Homeland Security [download]
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Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting [download]
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What to Expect in the 2009-10 Budget [download]
