At John Carroll University, there are many opportunities to take advantage of. Aside from getting a quality education and gaining hands-on professional experience, the university presents graduating students with the chance to apply for the Meet the Press fellowship, a prestigious position that was established to honor the legacy of Tim Russert ’72.

The fellowship, which has been given to one JCU student every year since 2009, is open to all graduating seniors regardless of major and number of years they’ve been at the university. It is a nine-month (September-May) position in Washington, D.C., where the recipient works for Meet the Press, NBC’s top-rated Sunday morning public affairs program and the longest-running television program in the world. Each year, there is an extensive process to select the best candidate to represent Tim Russert’s legacy, JCU, as well as Meet the Press.

James Feeks ’26 was recently selected as the 18th Meet the Press fellow. He immediately expressed interest in this position after first learning about it while touring JCU during his junior year of high school. 

As a finance and supply chain management major, he felt that he had to take extra time to learn about Meet the Press, as well as prepare for interviews. Feeks believes that his experiences in campaigning during high school and college, research and on radio and podcast shows allowed him to stand out.

“I decided to apply for the fellowship after meeting with prior fellowship winners and hearing about their responsibilities and experiences while working for the program and being in Washington, D.C.,” said Feeks. “What drew me in was the opportunity to have a direct impact on the news that Americans watch every week. Through my work, I can ensure that accountability and the truth are being upheld and presented to the public.”

The selection process consists of three parts, the first being to review all online applications. According to Brent Brossmann, Ph.D., chair of the Tim Russert Department of Communication, all submitted applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff from around JCU. The panel consists of himself, Colin Swearingen, Ph.D. (chair of the Political Science department), Andreas Sobisch, Ph.D. (political science associate professor), Father Maurice Emelu (communication associate professor), Dan Slentz (Blue Streak Media director), Julia Karolle-Berg, Ph.D. (associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences) and Chrystal Bruce, Ph.D. (chemistry professor). They choose the candidates moving on to the interview process, the second part of the selection process, based on the standards that are met.

“Specifically, I was tasked with watching an episode of Meet the Press and explaining the importance of journalism and politics and how they benefit one another,” said Feeks.

In terms of being interviewed and assessed by the selection committee, Brossmann stated that students are given a prompt related to a national political issue or guests appearing on Meet the Press and 30 minutes to prepare a presentation. After that, they will have a maximum of seven minutes to share their findings. The committee will then ask interview questions related to the students’ presentations and professional experiences. 

Feeks mentioned that the questions he received during the on-campus interview were specifically related to national politics, current national events and media trends, as well as that “watching Meet the Press on a regular basis helped in answering these questions.”

Based on the quality of each demonstration, the judging panel will select two or three finalists who represent JCU well to fly to Washington, D.C. for the final interview at NBC News, which determines the next fellow. This year, only two students applied for the fellowship and both were qualified to be finalists.

Swearingen was one of the professors who flew the two finalists to Washington, D.C. He explained that the night before the interviews took place at NBC News, both students had the opportunity to eat dinner with previous fellows, not only to learn more about the position and the Washington D.C. area, but also to network.

The following morning, the finalists were invited to watch a live taping and explore behind the scenes of Meet the Press, as well as meet Kristen Welker, moderator of the show. After broadcasting was complete, they were interviewed by the executive producer and senior producer for 30 minutes. From there, the Meet the Press staff decides who the next fellow is and the university isn’t involved in that decision. 

“The final interview in Washington consisted mainly of behavioral and situational questions,” said Feeks. “Their goal was to become familiar with me and learn more about my opinion on relevant news topics.”

Feeks found out about two and a half weeks later that he was selected as the next fellow. “When I received the call from NBC that I was selected as the 18th Meet the Press fellow, I was overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “All of the hard work I put into preparing for the interview had paid off, but what mattered even more was that I had been chosen to carry on the legacy of Tim Russert.”

When it came to approaching preparation for interviews at JCU and NBC, Feeks wanted to ensure he was “as prepared as possible” by receiving interviewing advice from the Boler Professional Development program and Career Services. He also created Quizlets with every question he could be asked and used artificial intelligence to create more potential interview questions. 

“If you are seriously considering applying for this position, you need to be very devoted to it,” said Feeks. “You need to know the routine of the show, regular guests and about Tim Russert and the way he conducted his approach to journalism.”

Brossmann also emphasized that Meet the Press is looking for people who can combine political understanding with media understanding and that “if they can do that they’ll have a really good opportunity at being sent to [Washington,] D.C.” 

“One other thing I would encourage them to do is take advantage of Pete Williams when he’s here,” Brossmann said. “Not just going to events, but also the luncheon to talk with him directly about the job.” 

“If you’re curious about doing journalism in [Washington,] D.C., apply,” said Swearingen. “You wouldn’t know if it’s not for you if you don’t apply.”

Swearingen continued, “It’s incredible talking to people at NBC and Meet the Press who remember Tim Russert and how incredible he was. As long as Tim Russert’s legacy is alive at NBC, there will always be a place at JCU.”

“Whether you are applying for the Meet the Press fellowship or for any position, you must give it your all,” said Feeks. “I encourage anyone applying for the fellowship to also do the same. Show others that you are dedicated to the fellowship, that you will work harder than anyone else all while having a smile on your face.”