The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is pleased to announce the 2023-24 Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship recipients. The Fellows are Diana Glebova of the New York Post, Fiona Harrigan of Reason, Anthony Hennen of The Center Square, Charles Fain Lehman of City Journal, Daniel Di Martino of the Manhattan Institute, Jimmy Quinn of National Review, and Isaac Schorr of Mediaite. These seven journalists will spend one year researching and providing in-depth reporting on their chosen topics surrounding the principles of a free society.

This year’s cohort of outstanding journalists will dive into serious reporting on today’s most pressing issues. Fellows will explore several topics including the legalization of drugs, lessons from Venezuela’s destruction by socialism, effective immigration policy proposals, rural America’s survival, the Chinese Communist Party’s influence, and Americans who serve in the war in Ukraine.

“I’m excited about sharing stories that will allow Americans to put themselves in the shoes of Venezuelans who had it all but lost it as a consequence of socialism,” said Daniel Di Martino. “People with united families, jobs, cars, and homes who voted for their own demise, or worse, suffered without fault of their own. My goal is to show that this can happen to you just like it did to millions of us and to inspire action to preserve our liberty because the future isn’t written yet.”

The Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship is named after the late Robert D. Novak, renowned columnist, CNN broadcaster and reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. Since its founding in 1994, the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship has empowered more than 150 promising young journalists to partake in research and long-form content creation that would not have otherwise been possible for them. Novak Fellows have gone on to become leaders in journalism as Pulitzer Prize winners, leaders of national outlets and authors of bestselling books. Notable fellows include: senior political columnist at the Washington Examiner Tim Carney, Novak ’03, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Matthew Continetti, Novak ’08, and Reason editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward, Novak ’05.

“The new class of Robert Novak Journalism Fellows will be diligently reporting on some of the most important stories in our country,” said Ryan Wolfe, director of the Center for Excellence in Journalism at TFAS. “This cohort follows in the footsteps of talented writers and reporters who have made a distinctive impact in the media. I’m looking forward to the excellent journalism this talented and courageous group will produce.”

The 2023-24 Robert Novak Journalism Fellows will be formally announced during the 30th Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner on Nov. 14, 2023, at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. During the dinner, TFAS will also honor prominent leaders in journalism: editor of City Journal Brian C. Anderson with the Thomas L. Phillips Career Achievement Award and State Department correspondent for Fox News Channel Benjamin Hall with the Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Journalism. Additionally, TFAS will present the 2023 Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism to Sierra McClain. 

For more information about the dinner and sponsorship opportunities, please visit TFAS.org/Jdinner23 or contact Jane Mack, Special Events Director, at jmack@TFAS.org.

Diana Glebova

Project: On The Front Lines: Why Some Americans Abandoned Everything to Go To War In Ukraine
Hometown: Oakdale, Minnesota

Diana Glebova currently works at the New York Post. Previously, she was a White House Correspondent for The Daily Caller, where she covers all things Biden administration, 2024 presidential campaigns and national security issues. She also served as an editor and general reporter for The Daily Caller, as well as a breaking news reporter for National Review Online. Diana received two bachelor’s degrees in political science and Slavic Studies from Columbia University and Sciences Po. Originally from Ukraine, she lived in Minnesota, France, New York and currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Fiona Harrigan

Project: Agreeable Asylum: Charting a More Productive U.S. Immigration Policy
Hometown: Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Fiona Harrigan is an assistant editor at Reason, where she primarily covers immigration. Her writing has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, the Miami Herald and many other outlets. Her work was cited by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill and Foreign Policy. In her past professional lives, she worked as a translator and a photographer. She was previously a Marcellus Policy Fellow with the John Quincy Adams Society and an Openness Fellow with Young Voices. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where she received an award for her photojournalism work along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Anthony Hennen

Project: An Appalachian Revival: The Government’s Failure to Save a Rural Region
Hometown: Little Hocking, Ohio

Anthony Hennen is a reporter for The Center Square news wire service, covering Pennsylvania, and co-host of Pennsylvania in Focus, a weekly podcast on America’s Talking Network. Previously, he worked for the Philadelphia Weekly and the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. He is the managing editor of Expatalachians, a journalism project focused on the Appalachian region. He is a graduate of Ohio University and currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Charles Fain Lehman

Project: Why Drugs Should Be Illegal
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of the City Journal. Prior to joining the Manhattan Institute in 2021, Charles was a staff writer at The Washington Free Beacon. His work appeared in outlets including The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, National Affairs and National Review. He discussed policy before the House of Representatives and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and at colleges including Carnegie Mellon and Cornell. Charles is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives outside Washington, D.C., with his wife and son.

Daniel Di Martino

2023-24 John Farley Alumni Fund Fellowship Fellow

Project: We Were Rich But We Didn’t Know It: How Socialism Destroyed Venezuela and What We Can Learn From It
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

Daniel Di Martino is a doctoral candidate in economics at Columbia University and a graduate fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where he focuses on high-skill immigration policy. Born and raised in Venezuela, Di Martino experienced the terrible consequences of socialism firsthand. After leaving Venezuela for the United States in 2016, he dedicated himself to explaining how socialism destroyed his homeland, advocating for its freedom and stopping this ideology in America and elsewhere. Di Martino founded the Dissident Project, which sends immigrants to teach high school students about the evils of the socialist regimes they fled. He is also a board of advisor’s member and speaker for Young America’s Foundation.

Jimmy Quinn

Project: The Chinese Communist Party’s Malign Influence in America
Hometown: New York

Jimmy Quinn is the national security correspondent for National Review, which he joined in 2020 as a Buckley Political Journalism Fellow. He covers Congressional foreign policy debates, the State Department, and the U.N. He is also a participant in the Young Professionals Briefing Series at the Council on Foreign Relations and an alumnus of the 2022 Media Fellowship at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Jimmy is a graduate of Columbia University and Sciences Po and currently lives in New York.

Isaac Schorr

Project: Sell Your Bonds or Buy the Dip: Assessing the State of Young Conservatives’ Incentives and Institutions
Hometown: Canandaigua, NY