Indian-American entrepreneur Frank Islam, along with his wife, Debbie Driesman, will fund a fellowship in the U.S. for a mid-career journalist from India for six months in 2017.
Named after themselves, the Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman (FIDD) Foundation's mission is to promote education, art and culture, peace, and conflict-resolution.
The Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman Fellow will work in a major newsroom in Washington, D.C., for five months after undergoing a five-week training programme at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri.
During the programme, the FIDD fellow will gain experience in reporting, writing, editing, and editorial decision-making that will enhance professional performance, acquire first-hand knowledge of the industry's technological advances, secure a practical understanding of the function and significance of the free press in American society, and develop the skills to transfer knowledge to colleagues at home in India.
The duo is joining hands with Alfred Friendly Press Partners (AFPP), a leader in transforming journalists from information-hungry societies, for the fellowship.
Frank Islam, President of the FIDD Foundation, stated: "Our foundation is proud to join hands with AFPP to support this fellowship. Debbie and I consider the fellowship a strategic investment in the free press."
"Over the past three decades, AFPP has trained 15 world class journalists from India who have gone on to become leaders in the field. It is our earnest belief that the FIDD Fellow will continue that tradition."
Randall D. Smith, President of the Alfred Friendly Press Partners, stated: "We are especially delighted to welcome Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman to our fold," said Randall D. Smith, President of the Alfred Friendly Press Partners. "Support such as theirs is the reason that we've been able to train more than 300 journalists from 90 different countries for over 30 years."