Lynette Lithgow was born in Trinidad but spent most of her life in the United Kingdom. Much of her career was with the British Broadcasting Corporation, having presented television news programs for the BBC regionally, nationally and internationally. She also worked for Granada Television in Manchester and for Tyne-Tees Television in Newcastle.
Her overseas postings were with Radio Television Brunei and with CNBC Asia, based in Singapore, where she was editorial training manager and senior anchor. Luminaries who faced her nightly questioning included President Kim of South Korea, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, former Indonesian President B. J. Habibie, New Zealand former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, U. S. Commerce Secretary William Daley, Trade Secretary Charlene Barshefsky, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the deposed Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in an exclusive interview only hours after he was sacked.
She was the author of Special Blend: Fusion Management from Asia and the West, which explores the impact of culture and history on Asian management styles. She was a Spring 2000 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at the Shorenstein Center, where she published a white paper on the role of the news media in shaping the view of women in Asian political dynasties.
The Internship Fund
The Lithgow Internship Fund was established in Lynette Lithgow’s honor and provides an opportunity for students to gain practical experience within the field of journalism. A stipend of up to $3,000 will be awarded to a Harvard Kennedy School student who has secured a summer internship position working for a news or media organization. Students are responsible for obtaining employment, and the position should be full-time and last a minimum of eight weeks. The Lithgow Internship is intended to benefit students with nonpaying or low-paying positions.
How to Apply
Submit an application here: Lynette Lithgow Internship Funding Application
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Applicants should have already been offered an internship, or be very confident about their chances of being offered a position (i.e. received a verbal offer). Students for whom funding would be required before considering an internship position may reach out to Max Boland and Liz Schwartz to discuss their internship goals and potential for receiving funding.
Recipients
2023: Alexis Sargent: The Boston Globe
2023: Tasila Banda: Documentary Film
2022: No award given
2021: Morgan Brewton-Johnson: The Boston Globe
2020: No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Isabella Borshoff: ProPublica, Brussels
2018: Daniel Alphonsus: Caixin Media (Beijing, China)
2017: Jose Alfaro: VICE News, Mexico City
2016: Shanoor Seervai: STAT News, Boston
2014: Stefanie Knoll: ARD, German public television (Washington, D.C.)
2013: Karly Schledwitz: MSNBC, The Daily Rundown with Chuck Todd
2012: Razvan Orasanu: Hotnews.ro (Romania)
2011: Matt Mabe: WBUR, On Point with Tom Ashbrook
2010: Euyhun Yi: Sisain magazine (Korea)
2009: Carrie Sheffield: Jerusalem Post
2008: Nik Steinberg: Global Post
2007: Massimiliano Santini: Business Daily (Kenya)
2006: Kaj Larsen: Current TV
2005: James Crabtree: The Economist (U.K.)
