Tim Alberta named the James S. House and Wendy Fisher House Social Science Fellow
May 9, 2025
ANN ARBOR—Tim Alberta, an award-winning journalist, author and staff writer for The Atlantic, has been named the James S. House and Wendy Fisher House Social Science Fellow.
This newly established fellowship is a joint initiative of Wallace House Center for Journalists and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR). It supports an accomplished journalist with a deep interest in social science research to participate in the Knight-Wallace Fellowships during the 2025–26 academic year while working in close collaboration with ISR scholars.
In this role, Alberta will examine the erosion of Americans’ trust in U.S. institutions by exploring how cynicism, misinformation and populist anger have helped shape a new, post-trust society.
The fellowship was created through a generous gift from James S. House and Wendy Fisher House to deepen the connection between journalism and the social sciences.
“Truth and trust are essential to healthy societies, and both journalism and social science play critical roles in upholding them,” James House and Wendy Fisher House said. “By strengthening the connection between these fields, we aim to support a shared commitment to uncovering and communicating trustworthy truths. We’re proud to fund this partnership to foster collaboration, public engagement, and the next generation of journalists and social scientists.”
A graduate of Michigan State University, Alberta went on to spend more than a decade in Washington, reporting for publications such as the Wall Street Journal, National Journal and National Review. He would ultimately serve as chief political correspondent for POLITICO before moving back to Michigan and joining The Atlantic in 2021.
In 2019 he released his first book, “American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump,” and co-moderated the year’s final Democratic presidential debate. In 2023 he followed up with, “The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism,” and in 2024 he won a National Magazine Award for his profile of Chris Licht, the chairman of CNN Worldwide.
As a member of the 52nd Knight-Wallace Fellowship class, Alberta will join a cohort of accomplished journalists for weekly seminars, collaborative workshops, and international travel that adds global context to the forces shaping journalism today. The Knight-Wallace Fellowships provide time, resources, and access to the University of Michigan to pursue ambitious projects that advance the profession and foster an engaged and informed public. Read the full 2025–26 Knight-Wallace Fellowship class and their journalism projects here.