The fellowship program of the World Press Institute encompasses briefings, interviews, field trips, cultural experiences and additional assignments. Below is a summary of the fellows’ schedule in 2013.
Aug. 9: WPI fellows arrive in Twin Cities.
Aug. 11: Welcome picnic and gathering with Minneapolis/St. Paul host families and program supporters.
Aug. 12: Orientation to the program with WPI executive director David McDonald and WPI staff.
Aug. 13-14: Two days of briefing and discussion of U.S. journalism issues with University of St. Thomas faculty.
Aug. 15-16: Visits to Cargill, Minnesota Public Radio, community groups and a host family reception.
Aug. 18-24: A visit to Ely in northern Minnesota for a community forum, a few hours at Outward Bound, which teaches outdoor survival skills, and a visit to the International Wolf Center. Later in the week observing naturalization ceremony in federal court in Minneapolis and visits to Medtronic and Mosaic.
Aug. 26-31: Discussion of homeland security issues with past and present federal officials; a visit to General Mills and dinner with WPI Board of Directors; a visit to the Star Tribune; visits to rural communities and a discussion about the Kennedy Assassination Commission with federal Judge John Tunheim.
Sept. 1-6: The U.S. tour begins in New York City, where fellows will visit The New York Times, Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, Thomson Reuters, the Daily Show and more.
Sept. 7-12: Washington, D.C., for visits to Politico, The Washington Post, the Atlantic magazine, PEW Research and Congress, as well as federal agencies.
Sept. 13: Tampa for a visit to Mosaic Company’s mining operations.
Sept. 14-17: Miami for visits to the Miami Herald and Univision.
Sept. 18-20: Atlanta where the visits include CNN and the Carter Center.
Sept. 21-24: Austin, Texas, for visits with the Texas Tribune, an online publication; a conservative media consultant and a polling expert, among others.
Sept. 25-27: Chicago for visits to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Northwestern University’s national security reporting project.
Sept. 28-Oct. 2: San Francisco Bay area where visits include the Stanford University Center on Food Security and the Environment and the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation; Silicon Valley firms and the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Oct. 3-4: Travel concludes in Seattle for visits to the Gates Foundation and Boeing, among others.
Oct. 5-11: Back to the Twin Cities for meetings with St. Thomas students and faculty; visits to Hubbard Broadcasting and 3M Company; a public forum at the University of St. Thomas; and a graduation ceremony.
Oct. 12-13: 2013 WPI Fellows depart.