Eight U.S. journalists have been awarded fellowships to report on critical issues abroad as part of the four-month-long Pew Fellowships in International Journalism at SAIS.

Each year, two groups of U.S. journalists are selected to study international affairs at SAIS and to do in-depth reporting overseas as part of the Pew Fellowships program, which is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts with the aim of encouraging more international reporting in the U.S. media.

Spring 2001's participants comprise journalists from the Christian Science Monitor, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Vanity Fair, Anniston Star, Contra Costa Newspapers, Providence Journal Interactive and two freelancers.

"We've got some important countries being revisited--China, India, Russia and Cuba--and some countries getting their first Pew Fellows--Nigeria, Morocco, Canada and Kyrgyzstan," said John Schidlovsky, director of the Pew Fellowships and a veteran foreign correspondent. "Since 1998, when we started the program, Pew Fellows have reported from more than 50 countries around the world."

During the five-week overseas travel portion of their fellowships, the Pew Fellows will report from those countries on topics that include environmental issues, indigenous peoples, refugees and immigration, energy and oil resources, globalization and economic development and other issues.

The fellows arrived at SAIS Jan. 15 to begin a seven-week Washington-based program of studies, including daily seminars on international topics. Pew Fellows may also audit SAIS classes in international affairs. Each fellow then travels overseas to report a specific news story. The Pew Fellows return to SAIS for three weeks to prepare their reports, which are offered to news organizations and excerpts of which are published at www.pewfellowships.org.