FEATURED
University disavows third-party listing that used language from school’s own website
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not plan to offer a reporting fellowship this year that privileges non-white applicants.
In the past, the Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship privileged racial minorities over white applicants. While MIT’s language has changed, STAT News has the older, discriminatory language still on its website as of June 24. The fellowship provides ” $75,000 and [includes] health insurance through MIT and dental and vision benefits through STAT.”
The university disavowed a third-party database which copied over language from MIT’s own description.
“The one-year fellowship is intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession and will prepare them for a successful career in science journalism,” reads a listing on ProFellow’s website. After The College Fix sent out inquiries, ProFellow updated the description but only to say that applications were paused.
Although this language comes from a previous description that the university used as recently as 2024, the school denied suggestions that it was discriminating on the basis of race.
“The Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship was paused in 2025,” the media relations team wrote in an email.
The university said it “was not involved in the selection of the fellows” but listed what it said were past eligibility requirements:
An applicant must be residing in the U.S. and live in, or be willing to relocate to, the Boston area. Applicants must have some previous journalism experience; between six months and five years desirable. Previous work as a science writer is not required. In compliance with federal law, fellows will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. STAT and MIT are unable to sponsor a work visa for this fellowship.
However, a 2021 announcement from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, which provided initial funding, highlighted the program’s emphasis on “diversifying” the field of journalism.
The 2021 news release used almost the exact same language still listed at ProFellow’s website: “The nine-month fellowship is intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession and will prepare them for a successful career in science journalism.”
The current MIT description omits the racially discriminatory language.
When asked why the descriptions on MIT’s website and ProFellow’s website are different, MIT responded that “ProFellow is not an MIT website.”
The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, created by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, said it is no longer involved with this fellowship.
While the fellowship is paused, it could create legal problems if it is restarted, according to civil rights expert Mark Perry.
He told The Fix:
In my opinion, the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship operates as a “joint venture in illegal racial and ethnic discrimination” between MIT and STAT, based on the STAT website’s statement that the program is ‘intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession.’ As a recipient of federal funds, MIT is violating its legal obligation to actively enforce Title VI’s prohibition of discrimination and preferences based on race, color, or natural origin, and it should be legally challenged by filing a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.
Perry, who frequently files federal civil rights complaints, said he would file his own except the pause on operations means it has not discriminated within the last 180 days. The Office for Civil Rights requires recent discrimination in order to open an investigation.
“Because STAT is not a recipient of federal funds, it is not under the jurisdiction of the Office for Civil Rights, but it could still be legally challenged in court by an individual or legal organization alleging unlawful race-based discrimination,” Perry said.
He commented further on the differing descriptions.
“To me, it’s very suspicious that MIT describes the program differently from STAT, as it fails to accurately disclose on its website that the program is unlawfully restricted to certain racial and ethnic minorities,” he wrote.
“In my opinion, MIT’s failure to disclose the program’s racial discrimination when describing the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship on its website is a deliberate attempt to avoid a legal challenge to its partnership with a discriminatory program,” he said.
He said he is “prepared to file a Title VI complaint” if the program restarts.
The College Fix reached out to Rick Berke, executive editor of STAT News, but he did not respond to questions in the past several days about potential legal problems with the fellowship.
In recent weeks The College Fix has reported on other school initiatives that appear to discriminate based on race, including a report on UW-Madison’s discriminatory behavior.
The UW-Madison disavowed the “candidates of color” fellowship in misleading statements to The College Fix, but then never had it removed. ProFellow only updated the description after being alerted to the problem in relationship to a separate College Fix article. UW-Madison never told The Fix when it actually followed through on its promise to ask for an updated description.
