Q: Who is eligible to apply?
A: If you are a print, broadcast or online journalist with five or more years of experience at a news organization (here or abroad), you are eligible to become a Kip.

Q: Do internships and freelance assignments count toward the required five years of professional experience?
A: If you worked at least 20 hours a week, you can count internships and freelance work for established media organizations.

Q: What if I have at least five years of journalism experience, but am not currently working as a journalist?
A: You are still eligible to apply for the fellowship. However, please know that we give weight to applicants who are currently employed as journalists and can apply what they learn in the fellowship to their work.

Q: When will the fellowship be offered?
A: The fellowship will take place Sunday, April 15, through Friday, April 20, 2012. If you nominate an editor or colleague for our shorter KipLab and he or she is chosen, that course will be offered May 2-4, 2012.

Q: Will the fellowship be conducted in English?
A: Yes, so applicants need to have a command of spoken and written English to benefit from the fellowship. We will not have translators.

Q: Does my application (including work samples) need to be in English?
A: Yes. Your three work samples must be in English as well. If your work as a journalist requires that you write in another language other than English, you must provide originals and English translations.

Q: How do I apply?
A: Our application is an online survey. To view or complete the application, click here. Please remember, once you begin the application, you must complete it. Please allow 30-45 minutes to complete the online application. If you log out of the online application without completing it, you will need to start over and repeat your information.

Q: When can I apply?
A: You can apply now — click here for the application.

Q: When is the application due?
A: Dec. 31, 2011.

Q: When will I know if I've been accepted?
A: Those who are selected will receive an offer letter by Feb. 10, 2012, outlining the requirements of the fellowship program. We also will send a message to all applicants announcing the Kiplinger Fellowship Class of 2012 by the end of February 2012.

Q: What costs are covered?
A: All of the workshop sessions are provided at no charge. In addition, we cover the costs of housing and will provide a travel stipend.

Q: Are international journalists eligible for the program?
A: Yes. Please know that all sessions of the fellowship program will be conducted in English, and application materials must be in English.

Q: Can I weigh in on the kind of sessions I'd like to see offered?
A: By all means. We want to design a fellowship that best fits your needs. So be sure to fill out the session ranking question on your application.

Q: If I'm accepted, what happens next?
A: You will receive additional information about the Kiplinger Fellowship with more details about logistics. On April 15, 2012, all of the Fellows will travel to Ohio State University's campus for a week of intensive, hands-on learning. You'll work with experts in the social media field, attend receptions and other events in your honor, get to know the other talented journalists in your class, and receive coaching on how to take advantage of new approaches and reporting tools.

Q: What if other journalists in my newsroom are interested in social media training?
A: 2012 Kiplinger Fellows are eligible to nominate someone from their newsroom to attend a three-day version of the training they receive in April. Fellows will make their nominations in March, and attendees will be selected in April.

Q: My editor is interested in social media training, but cannot get out of the newsroom for a whole week. Do you offer shorter training sessions?
A: Yes. We offer customized training sessions to meet the needs of individual newsrooms. We'll even bring the training program to your newsroom. For more training information on customized training programs, please contact:

Doug Haddix
Director, Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism
372 Bricker Hall
190 North Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210-1357
614-688-0955
Haddix.12@osu.edu

Q: I'm a former Kiplinger Fellow. Can I apply?
A: We very much value our relationships with our alumni, but former Kiplinger Fellows are not eligible to attend the fellowship a second time, due to the limited number of slots.