William F. Buckley Fellowship in Political Journalism
Applications for 2026
DUE MARCH 31
William F. Buckley Jr. nurtured two generations of conservative journalists, leaving behind a towering legacy that includes scores of influential editors, writers, and public intellectuals. The annual William F. Buckley Jr. Fellowship in Political Journalism, sponsored by National Review Institute, offers a unique opportunity for recent college graduates to join *National Review*as writers and reporters for a one-year, full-time fellowship, renewable for up to one additional year.
Directed by National Review’s editorial team, the fellowship provides hands-on training in modern political journalism. Through daily editorial oversight and close collaboration with NR writers and editors, fellows will hone their skills in writing, editing, reporting, and commentary — while also gaining experience in digital media, video production, podcasting, and social media strategy.
In addition to developing strong written work, fellows will learn how journalism reaches audiences across platforms — producing and appearing in multimedia content, including video podcasts, and gaining an understanding of how stories are promoted and amplified through social media and other digital channels. The program equips fellows to communicate clearly, persuasively, and thoughtfully from a principled perspective across the formats that shape public discourse today.
Fellows receive regular editorial feedback through weekly reviews, ongoing mentorship from NR’s editorial leadership, and opportunities to attend lunches and discussions with leading conservative thinkers, journalists, and policymakers. The skills sharpened during the fellowship prepare participants for careers in journalism, media, communications, and public intellectual life.
“The Buckley journalism program has a proven record of training top-notch young conservative journalists.”
— Rich Lowry, Editor in Chief, National Review
“There’s no better opportunity than the Buckley Fellowship to learn from the greatest writers and thinkers in the conservative movement; through the fellowship, the writers and editors I’ve admired for years became my mentors and colleagues.”
— Haley Strack, Staff Writer, National Review
How to Apply
We will accept applications until March 31, but we will review them as soon as they are received. The fellowship begins between June and August, depending on availability. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, current résumé, a recommendation from an employer or professor, a current transcript (unofficial acceptable), and a writing sample. The cover letter should explain the applicant’s education, work experience, extracurricular activities, and future goals as they relate to the fellowship—in short: why you, and why National Review. Please direct applications to buckleyfellows@nrinstitute.org.
Please note that this fellowship is based out of National Review’s Arlington, Virginia office.
National Review Institute sponsors three fellowship opportunities for aspiring writers. Our journalism fellowships are designed to train the next generation of conservative journalists by providing opportunities for recent graduates to write for National Review magazine and NationalReview.com and work directly with NR’s editorial team. The William F. Buckley Fellowship in Political Journalism is offered to two recent college graduates to work as writers/reporters with National Review for one year with the option of extending for a second year. For writers with a little more experience, NRI sponsors the Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellowship, which is funded by the Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation for a recent graduate to write for NR for one year with possible annual extensions for up to three years total. This fellowship has a specific focus on economic issues. Alumni of the fellowship program have gone on to work full-time for National Review, as well as for other influential outlets such as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Politico.
The journalism fellowships will be directed by NR’s editorial team. Through daily oversight and regular interaction with other NR writers, the fellows will actively be trained in the art of political journalism, honing their writing, editing, reporting, and commentary skills, as well as learning about promotion, publicity, and social media. The skills acquired and sharpened will help prepare them for a career in journalism, equipping them to write thoughtfully and eloquently—from a principled perspective—on important issues that impact a free and prosperous society. Fellows receive editorial feedback, guidance, and support in weekly reviews, as well as attend regular lunches with leading conservative thinkers and journalists.
William F. Buckley Jr. Fellowship in Political Journalism
Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellowship
William F. Buckley Jr. Fellowship in Political Journalism
William F. Buckley Jr. nurtured two generations of conservative journalists. His enormous legacy includes scores of conservative editors and writers. The annual William F. Buckley Jr. Fellowship in Political Journalism, sponsored by National Review Institute, is a unique opportunity for two recent college graduates to work as writers/reporters with National Review magazine for a one year term (typically starting in May/June).
Fellows receive editorial feedback, guidance, and support in weekly reviews, as well as attend regular lunches with leading conservative thinkers and journalists. Rich Lowry, the editor in chief of National Review, said: “The Buckley journalism program has a proven record of training top-notch young conservative journalists.”
How to Apply
Interested applicants should send a cover letter, current résumé, recommendation from a former employer or professor, current transcript (unofficial acceptable), and a writing sample. The cover letter should explain the applicant’s education, work, other activities, and future goals as they relate to a fellowship with National Review magazine. In other words, “why you and why National Review?” Applications are due on January 31. Please direct applications to info@nrinstitute.org. Apply today or share this with someone who may be interested!
Current William F. Buckley Jr. Fellows in Political Journalism
Guy Denton is a current William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review. Previously, he worked at the American Enterprise Institute as a research associate for Jonah Goldberg and a research and communications associate for Matthew Continetti. He was an intern at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the James Wilson Institute, and he has held fellowships with the Hertog Foundation and The Fund for American Studies. His writing has appeared in publications such as the New York Post, The Dispatch, and The Washington Free Beacon. Born and raised in England, he moved to the United States in 2022.
Kamden Mulder is a William F. Buckley Fellow in Political Journalism. Kamden, a Michigan native, graduated from Hillsdale College in May 2025 with a degree in American studies and journalism. During her time there, she worked as both a writer and editor on the student newspaper, The Collegian, hosted a weekly radio show, and worked on documentary filmmaking. She served as an intern at The Federalist and contributed to the Michigan Enjoyer, a local news site.
Past William F. Buckley Jr. Fellows in Political Journalism
Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellowship
The Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellowship was created to honor “Dusty” Rhodes, an engaging and well-respected conservative leader who served as the president of National Review and the chairman of The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation’s board of directors. The Rhodes Fellowship is made available to a new or recent college graduate, up to age 25 (when initially applying) who shows interest and capability in writing on, broadly speaking, current affairs, but with a focus on finance, business, taxation, fiscal policy, economics, and the workings of the free market, all of which were subjects of particular interest to Mr. Rhodes. This will be in connection with writing, preparing, and editing National Review’s Capital Matters section. While this will be an important part of the Rhodes fellow’s daily work, he or she would also be encouraged to write for the magazine and elsewhere on the website on other areas of domestic and international policy on topics that might include, but would not be limited to, health care, limited government, education reform, affirmative action, and the state of the conservative movement.
Located in NRI’s New York City office, the Rhodes fellow will work closely with the editor of Capital Matters, and will also be overseen and directed by NR’s editorial team. Through this daily oversight and regular interaction with other NR writers, the Rhodes fellow will actively be trained in the art of journalism, honing his/her writing, editing, reporting, and commentary skills, as well as learning about promotion, publicity, and social media. The skills acquired and sharpened as the Rhodes Fellow will help prepare him/her for a career in journalism, equipping the fellow to write thoughtfully and eloquently—from a principled perspective—on important issues that impact a free and prosperous society.
The Rhodes Fellowship is designed as a one-year fellowship, renewable on an annual basis for up to two additional years (no more than three years).
How to Apply
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, current résumé, recommendation from a former employer or professor, current transcript (unofficial acceptable), and a writing sample. The cover letter should explain the applicant’s education, work, other activities, and future goals as they relate to a fellowship with National Review magazine. In other words, “why you and why National Review ?” Please direct applications to info@nrinstitute.org.
Current Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow
John R. Puri is the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review, covering policy with a specific focus on economic issues. John is a senior at Stanford University studying politics and history, and was an editorial intern at National Review in the summer of 2025. He became the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow in November 2025, working part-time until his graduation. He will begin working full-time in July 2026.
Past Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellows
Dominic Pino was previously a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism and a National Review editorial intern. He holds a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in economics from George Mason University and was an MA Fellow at the Mercatus Center. Originally from Wisconsin, he currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia.
Daniel Tenreiro grew up in New York City and studied economics at Yale University. As an undergraduate, Daniel wrote a biweekly column for the Yale Daily News and served as Project Chair of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project.
Theodore Kupfer worked for National Review in an editorial capacity and was formerly a WFB and Rhodes fellow at NRI. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University and hails from central Pennsylvania. He previously worked at Bridgewater Associates.
Jibran Khan is a former Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at National Review Institute. He currently works as a freelance writer and editor, providing editorial support to individual and organizational clients.
Ian Tuttle is a doctoral student in political theory at the Catholic University of America. From 2015 to 2017, he was the Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review Institute in New York City. He has been regularly published in, among others, National Review and The New Criterion. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College (Annapolis, MD).
Jillian Kay Melchior is an editorial page writer for The Wall Street Journal. She was the first Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow at National Review Institute from 2014 to 2015 and was regularly published in National Review. Jillian holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI).