Lifting up journalism around the world

Our story

The Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships began in 1983 with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alfred Friendly's vision to give back to the profession he loved. While hunting geese with his son Jonathan, Friendly discussed creating a foundation to support journalists from developing countries, inspired by global conversations about press freedom and the need to combat censorship. Despite battling cancer, Friendly quickly established the foundation, recruiting an executive director, David Nalle, to launch the International Press Fellowships. Within months, they had secured newspaper partnerships and selected the first group of fellows, though Alfred passed away before the program's debut in 1984.

The inaugural fellows immersed themselves in U.S. newsrooms, benefiting from hands-on professional training that aligned with Friendly's belief in experiential learning. Prominent editors like Ben Bradlee and smaller newspapers alike welcomed the fellows, fostering a two-way exchange of knowledge and perspectives. This international collaboration enriched both the visiting journalists and their American hosts, exemplified by stories like Nepali journalist Bijay Lal Shresta's exploration of connections between Anniston, Alabama, and Kathmandu. As the program grew, it adapted to global needs, recruiting fellows from post-Cold War Eastern Europe and enabling them to report on pivotal events like the siege of Sarajevo.

Over the years, the program evolved to address the changing media landscape, incorporating training in specialized beats and digital reporting techniques. Friendly Fellows became critical contributors to U.S. newspapers during times of financial strain, filling gaps in international coverage while enhancing their own skills. Today, the program continues as Alfred Friendly Press Partners, fostering long-term collaborations with ambitious newsrooms worldwide. The foundation, born from a chance conversation, remains a dynamic force for global journalism, ensuring that the spirit of Alfred Friendly's vision endures.

Alfred Friendly

Our mission

Alfred Friendly Press Partners bonds with journalists and news organizations from information hungry societies and prepares them to practice professional, ethical, and innovative journalism. We accomplish our mission through hands-on training in U.S. and international newsrooms and within the Missouri School of Journalism.

Alfred Friendly Press Partners is the leader in transforming journalists who are recognized as vital to journalism excellence, press freedom, and informed citizenries.

We advance our vision through our fellows, our lifelong relationships with them and the subsequent trusting relationships to international newsrooms we are able to develop through them, and the network of training resources and expertise we are able to capture and tailor for fellows and international newsrooms.

A Global Community of Journalists

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Your support matters

Your tax-deductible gift will help the Alfred Friendly Foundation lift up journalism around the world by transforming journalists who are recognized as vital to journalism excellence and press freedom.

  • A monthly gift allows you to spread the financial impact of your giving across the entire year. This steady and reliable stream of income helps ensure that Alfred Friendly can make long-term commitments to projects and plan our programs accordingly to produce sustainable change over time. Your gift will support programming and training of journalists.

  • To honor an individual, such as a prominent journalist, newsroom or other organization. Please consider giving a gift in honor of or in memory of one of the brave international journalists dedicated to informing their citizenry and holding their governments accountable.

  • Each year a small group of journalists from abroad, unknown to one another, travel parallel roads during a six-month fellowship in the United States – the annual class of Alfred Friendly Fellows. We know that even after returning home the collegiality among Fellows is alive and well, sparked by shared circumstances then and now. Please consider the possibility of joining forces with your fellow Fellows on our behalf. Please consider a donation to honor your host newsroom mentor or your Alfred Friendly Fellow Alumni Class.

  • This is a favorite of holiday giving for maximum impact: turn your stock into an investment in the Alfred Friendly Press Partners.

    It may be to your advantage to make a gift of appreciated stock rather than cash in order to:

    • Avoid paying capital gains tax on the increased value of the stock, and

    • Receive an income-tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the stock at the time of the gift.

    Here’s how it works. If you purchased stock for $500, and its value has increased to $5,000, your gift of stock will allow you to take a charitable deduction of $5,000. You will not have to pay tax on the $4,500 increased value.

    You qualify for these tax advantages if you have owned the stock for more than a year. The gift must be postmarked by December 31 to qualify.

    Here is how to make the transfer:

    If you hold the stock certificate, you can send it unendorsed in an envelope to:

    ALFRED FRIENDLY PRESS PARTNERS
    310C Reynolds Journalism Institute
    Columbia, MO  65211

    In a separate envelope to the same address, send a signed, but otherwise blank, stock power form.

    Once you have arranged for your transfer, please contact Alfred Friendly to alert us of the stock transfer: 573-882-8694. This will ensure proper recognition of your generous gift.