ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Bihar journalist Tanzil Asif named Knight-Wallace Fellow
Asif’s fellowship project will focus on building sustainable models for rural and hyperlocal journalism in India.
-
Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 15, May 2026
- 02:27 EDT
- 19
Tanzil Asif / Tanzil.in
Wallace House Center for Journalists and the University of Michigan announced that Bihar-based journalist Tanzil Asif has been selected as a 2026-2027 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow. Asif, founder of Main Media, is among 19 journalists chosen for the fellowship’s 53rd class.
The fellowship cohort includes journalists from eight countries and across the United States. During the academic year, Fellows will pursue research projects examining issues such as sustainable rural and hyperlocal news models, institutional trust, newsroom culture, censorship, artificial intelligence and media innovation.
According to the announcement, Asif’s fellowship project will focus on building sustainable models for rural and hyperlocal journalism in India.
Asif is a multimedia journalist based in Bihar who reports on human rights, development, climate change, migration, agriculture and politics. Born March 12, 1993, in Dahuwabari village in Bihar’s Kishanganj district, he studied at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia.
He founded Main Media in 2018 after leaving his job at ANI to report on rural communities that he said were often overlooked by mainstream media. After resigning, he returned to Kishanganj district and began covering local issues across the Seemanchal region with limited resources.
Main Media, a hyperlocal news platform based in the Seemanchal region along the Bihar-West Bengal border, focuses on reporting from areas it describes as historically neglected. The platform initially covered four districts in Bihar — Katihar, Purnia, Kishanganj and Araria — before expanding into the Darjeeling and Uttar Dinajpur districts of West Bengal.
The organization formally launched Feb. 18, 2018, and first covered the 2018 Araria Lok Sabha by-election following the death of veteran leader Taslimuddin.
In a statement released with the fellowship announcement, Lynette Clemetson, director of Wallace House, said, “One of the most exciting aspects of our work each year is creating the space for accomplished journalists to learn from and with one another.”
“In a time fraught with challenges to the independence, safety and sustainability of the press, it is a privilege to provide this group of leaders and changemakers the time and resources to expand their skills and pursue ambitious work,” Clemetson added.
The fellowship program provides participants with a $90,000 stipend, health insurance, relocation support and access to academic resources at the University of Michigan. Fellows will live in the Ann Arbor area during the residential program and participate in seminars, workshops and skills training sessions at Wallace House.
The 2026-2027 fellowship class also includes specialized fellows focused on social science reporting, arts journalism and local news in the Great Lakes region.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login