That’s right, now through Feb 20, Expressions of Interest will be accepted for the 2026-27 cohort of the Civic Media Fellowship!

What is it?

A program  empowering artists, creators, storytellers, innovators, organizers, strategists and others working at the intersections of media, technology and culture to further hone their practice through eight months of exploration and collaboration with a dynamic, diverse, and amazing cohort of Fellows. Based at the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab with amazing support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Who’s it For?

We welcome interest from people using diverse forms of media and technology with participatory practices to advance social progress in ways that defy easy categorization, recombining areas including the arts, curation, journalism, history, video, music, food, textiles, writing, technology and much more. We prioritize perspectives, voices, and issues which have been historically under-represented and marginalized.

Why do we do it?

These leaders and the resources we develop collectively to empower them also help to strengthen and expand the field of civic media—the use of today’s technologies to create and harness media that connects with communities, inspires action, builds civic capacity and helps sustain social change efforts.

For the 2026-27 program, we're looking for a cohort of 8, who will meet once per week from September to early May, and receive a total stipend of $16,000 over 8 months. The application process runs through three phases:

1. Candidates begin by submitting a shorter (4 brief questions) “Expression of Interest” application. A committee of staff and senior fellows will review these submissions for basic alignment with the program.

2. Candidates advanced to the application phase will be invited to submit a full application, which will be reviewed by the staff/fellow committee to advance to the interview round.

3. The cohort will be chosen after a single round of interviews conducted by teams of staff/fellows.

Some key notes on eligibility:

• Applicants must be located within 4 hours of LA’s time zone (PT)

• Solely AI-generated applications will not be accepted (and AI use must be documented)

• We’re not considering tenured faculty or full-time students for this cohort

The program FAQ has been refreshed for this new application cycle, and we encourage you to check it out for full details.

The Expression of Interest will close at 11:59 PM, PST on February 20, 2026. This is the only window in which a person can apply for the 2026-27 cohort.