Watchdog Writers Group is a non-profit journalism institute that produces books and in-depth reporting, while also acting as a teaching lab to train the next generation of reporters.

About WWG

Watchdog Writers Group is a non-profit journalism institute that produces books and in-depth reporting, while also acting as a teaching lab to train the next generation of reporters.

WWG aims to mitigate critical dysfunctions in the media landscape, supporting deep print journalism in the heart of the Midwest while teaching young reporters the ethics and techniques that define the best journalism in America. It also addresses the need for more entry-level job options for young reporters, providing the critical “first rung” in a career ladder.

Based at the Missouri School of Journalism, the Group provides authors with the time and resources they need to produce ground-breaking investigative books on topics of vital public interest. The Group trains tomorrow’s print reporters by offering apprenticeships to students at the Missouri Journalism School, giving them the chance to work with experienced authors while producing stories for partner media outlets.

The Group is funded by grants from foundations and individual donors. All funds are disbursed from the Missouri School of Journalism, which applies a rigorous ethical framework to ensure all WWG journalists enjoy editorial independence and complete freedom from the influence of donors.

How WWG works

The Watchdog Writers Group provides fellowships to established journalists with a book contract. The fellowship includes financial stipends and other means of support, such as research assistance, networking opportunities and workshops with other authors.

Fellows write books in the vein of the classic American muckrakers — books of diligent, objective journalism that investigate vital social issues and that are targeted to a broad audience. The fellows will focus on topics that are being neglected by increasingly coastal-centric media outlets. These books won’t focus on the White House or Wall Street, but will focus on issues such as the opioid crisis, corporate agribusiness, the coal industry, gun violence, police discrimination in African-American communities and more.

The Group selects students to work alongside the fellows, teaching them the invaluable skills and the ethical conduct of investigative journalism. As with other opportunities under the “Missouri Method” umbrella, WWG students will be ready to hit the ground running because of this hands-on experience.

Students and fellows will be selected through a competitive application process.

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