WASHINGTON, DC (July 6, 2021) – Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists and Insider, Inc. announced that Rachel Mendelson is the first recipient of the inaugural Insider fellowship. The new Insider Fellowship aims to provide a fellowship opportunity for an LGBTQ reporter, in order to gain experience in a supportive, engaging newsroom aimed at increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry. Every six months, Insider and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists will select a new fellow to join Insider’s fellowship class of journalists.
“We are thrilled to partner with Insider, Inc. to offer the inaugural Insider Fellowship,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists Executive Director Adam K. Pawlus. “A cornerstone of the association’s mission is supporting diversity in newsrooms, and this fellowship is an opportunity for an up-and-coming LGBTQ journalist to gain experience and share their own wisdom with the Insider team.”
“This is a huge opportunity for Insider to support journalists from the LGBTQ community, and we’re excited for Rachel Mendelson to join us as our NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists fellow on the graphics team,” said Insider managing editor Benjamin Snyder. “NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists is an excellent organization working tirelessly to support the community, and I’m thrilled that we’re partnering with them on an ongoing basis.”
The Insider Fellowship Program is for early-career journalists who want to learn from a newsroom full of passionate, dedicated journalists. Fellows will be assigned to teams and become experts in digital storytelling over the course of six months. They will produce work that is distributed to Insider’s audience of millions, and by the end of six months will be prepared for the next phase of their journalism careers. The Fellow also receives a complimentary registration to NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists’ National Convention and a year-long membership in the association.The Insider Fellowship will be awarded annually for Fall and Summer, and applications for the Fall 2021 Fellowship will become available soon.
Rachel Mendelson recently graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and double minors in Psychology and Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her time at Northwestern, Rachel was the Communications Chair for Sexual Health and Assault Peer Educators (SHAPE), a student organization, and reported on many topics regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Rachel is honored to be Insider’s first NLGJA fellow and is excited to merge her interests in journalism, design and visual storytelling. She is also passionate about ethically reporting and representing queer and BIPOC voices in the media industry, and she hopes to translate her experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion from a college-based setting to a digital news publication.
For more information about the Insider Fellowship program, visit www.nlgja.org/awards/the-insider-fellowship-program/.
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About NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists:
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists is a journalist-led association working within the news media to advance fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ communities and issues. We promote diverse and inclusive workplaces by holding the industry accountable and providing education, professional development and mentoring. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.
About Insider, Inc.:
Insider is one of the world’s most popular and influential news brands. Launched in 2007 as Business Insider, Insider covers the news and stories of interest to the digital generation, from travel and lifestyle to the topics that put Business Insider on the global map: finance and technology. Insider generates more than 240 million unique monthly visitors across all platforms, per Comscore. Insider generates hundreds of millions of video views each month. Insider has 14 editions around the globe in seven languages. Insider is part of a larger corporate group, Insider Inc., that includes the company’s paid research division, Insider Intelligence, and a majority share in Morning Brew, publisher of the popular daily business email for young professionals.