Condé Nast Launches Fellowship Program in the Wake of Internships

After a highly publicized lawsuit over unpaid internships, the subsequent shut down of the entire program, and then the huge $5.9 million USD settlement from losing the case, mammoth publisher Condé Nast is back with a fellowship program in lieu of internships. While the lawsuit was met with a mixed bag of reactions from hopefuls and industry insiders alike, it was a turning point in the age of unpaid internships and the gray area they fall into. Now, Condé Nast’s doors are opening again to magazine hopefuls as the publishing giant is in the process of forming a fellowship program much like other publications. The fellowship program will be a six-month paid program, where potentials will work full time. Condé Nast-owned publication WIRED has had a fellowship program in place for a few years, and rumor has it that the rest of the company will adopt a system similar to that. Currently, WIRED fellows are paid $12.25 per hour and are required to work 35 hours per week, being treated as a full time employee. Although this sounds like a positive alternative, some drawbacks are that students are discouraged from applying due to its full-time nature, and that the paid aspect allows the program to omit the “educational value” aspect that was required for unpaid work. Whether or not the fellowship program will result in jobs remains to be seen, but the publication’s prestigious reputation will undoubtedly garner cutthroat competition for the coveted spots.