Pulitzer Fellowship recipient to cover 2022 World Cup
Each year, a High Point University student is chosen to receive the Pulitzer Fellowship grant administered by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to do research and conduct reports in their respective fields. This year, sophomore Jeremy Johnson, a communication major with a minor in sports management, was selected by the Pulitzer Selection Committee to receive this grant.
Johnson will be using this grant money to travel to Qatar, in Southwest Asia, this summer to report on the construction of the 2022 World Cup stadium currently being built, focusing on the aspects of it that most people might not know.
He will be reporting primarily on the overwhelming number of casualties that have occurred during this construction process, as well as other aspects concerning the treatment of the workers.
More than 900 people have died in 2012 and 2013 alone, and it has been estimated that over 4,000 deaths will occur during the construction process before the stadium is completed if these patterns continue. Johnson’s goal is to gain some insight as to why this number is so extreme.
Likely a result of poor working and living conditions, the causes of these deaths range from accidents on the construction site to cardiac arrest due to heat. Johnson plans to talk to some of the construction workers currently working on this project to learn more about these worker fatalities and how they are treated overall.
The Pulitzer Center focuses on reporting projects of global importance spanning a variety of issues worldwide, concentrating on under reported or unreported topics.
Johnson notes that this grant is particularly meaningful because it provides a stepping-stone in getting one step closer toward his goal of working in journalism and sports broadcasting.
“It’s great to be able to report on an issue that not many people know about,” Johnson said.
Each winner receives a different amount of grant money depending on the trip, but they generally total between $5,000 and $15,000, which goes toward travel expenses and other necessities, so that the recipient can devote his or her full attention to the research and report itself.
The application process takes much work and research on each student’s chosen topic. The applicants must research and present their topic proposal as well as submit budget proposals, a small portfolio and several references.
For Johnson, the whole process happened relatively quickly, and he noted that this was a risk he is glad he took.
“Don’t be afraid to take a chance because you never know where it might lead,” Johnson said.
Though this grant does not count toward academic credit, it is an incredible opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in their chosen field.
“Receiving the Pulitzer Fellowship and being given the chance to represent High Point University is truly an honor,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to the experience and giving readers the opportunity to look at my topic more in depth.”