Interested in ECREA mentorship?

The Journalism Studies section was the recent recipient of an ECREA EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) grant to support mentorship efforts. We're proud to announce our scheme for early-career PhD researchers. The deadline is October 31, 2025—details below!

EDI Scheme Launch

The Journalism Studies Section Management Team is pleased to invite applications to our new PhD researchers EDI mentorship scheme. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) scheme is targeting early career PhD researchers who experience barriers and biases in their academic progression and those who come from underrepresented groups. To facilitate participation of individuals identifying with this category we hope to work towards making ECREA more equitable, diverse and inclusive.

In journalism studies, pressure from political bodies and hostile publics has had a marked impact on the field; influencing recruitment of bachelors students, research prospects, and the overall research environment. Hence, such academic mentorship has become particularly crucial for our section.

While PhD candidates receive guidance from their academic supervisors, we believe it is essential for their academic development to engage with experienced scholars beyond their home institutions. Conferences, workshops, and academic exchanges offer valuable opportunities for such interaction. However, these are often financially inaccessible for students with limited funding and typically provide only brief, one-off feedback.

To address this gap, we launch an online mentorship programme specifically for five PhD candidates. The selected PhD candidates will be offered guidance and feedback on their work and career progression during their PhD by external senior researchers and professors.

The program offers four online mentorship sessions over a period of 1.5 years. These sessions will connect PhD candidates with experienced (associate) professors who can provide valuable guidance and feedback on their work.

The mentorship may include support with study design, article drafts, publication strategies, and more general challenges encountered during the PhD journey.

We will especially encourage applications from early-stage PhD candidates, as this is when mentorship tends to have the greatest impact. The program is particularly intended for those with limited financial resources or those whose institutions offer minimal doctoral support beyond their primary supervisors.

Criteria for selection:

• Candidates must be YECREA members (visit yecrea.eu/membership to learn how to become a YECREA member) and members of the Journalism Studies section.

• Candidates must submit for review and expression of interest and motivation/justification to participate in the mentoring scheme, explaining how the scheme will benefit them (200 words)

• Candidates must submit an abstract of PhD work (200 words, excluding references)

• Candidates must provide the names of up to three preferred mentors in their field

• Candidates must commit to all four meetings and submit a short reflection for the mentor and the organizing committee, Journalism Studies Management Team ECREA.

Please note: if selected for the mentorship scheme, you will be asked to send some evidence of your PhD status (e.g. proof of enrolment, a letter from your institution, or a link to your home university profile).

Deadline for submissions is Friday, 31st October 2025. Please submit via the form here. Decisions will be given by the end of December and four online mentorship meetings can be arranged from January 2026 until May 2027 between mentee and mentor.