Deadline: 16 November 2023
Applications are now open for the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) Reporting Fellowships 2024 . To mark its 20th anniversary in 2024, the EJN is pleased to announce the launch of a new one-year fellowship programme for journalists that will improve reporting on four priority areas - climate change, biodiversity, the ocean and One Health.
EJN is looking for four exceptional environmental reporters for a new fellowship initiative that will provide journalistic training and mentoring, a quarterly salary and funding for story production, travel and professional development opportunities. Each of these four fellows will focus primarily on a different area of environmental journalism - climate change, biodiversity, the ocean and One Health - and will develop their skills and networks to become leaders in these reporting spaces. The EJN Reporting Fellows will also have the opportunity to broaden their understanding and produce stories in the other three thematic areas. One fellowship will be awarded for each thematic area of reporting, and interested journalists should indicate which fellowship they wish to apply for.
Benefits
The EJN fellows who receive this unprecedented opportunity will:
- Participate in an orientation workshop organised by the EJN to reinforce your report-writing skills and meet the other scholarship holders taking part;
- Receive mentoring from senior journalists with expertise in each subject area to provide individual guidance, resources for reporters and editorial support for their reporting;
- Develop thematic knowledge by learning from and interviewing experts in all four focus areas;
- Improve reporting skills through training in data journalism, Mojo, solutions journalism, fact-checking, data visualisation and much more;
- Receive a quarterly grant of 6,000 EUR to cover story production costs and the fellows' time;
- Receive 6,000 EUR per scholar to cover conference travel, story production trips, professional development opportunities and much more;
- Get involved in learning and peer exchange.
Eligibility
Open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, multimedia, new media). They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organisations - international, national and local.
Candidates eligible for the EJN Reporting Fellowship must:
- Being a professional journalist or representing an established media company and reporting from a low- or middle-income country.
- Have at least five years' journalistic experience.
- Have demonstrable interest and experience in reporting on one of the four thematic areas and provide samples of recent, relevant and journalistic work on these topics, which can be uploaded as documents or web links.
- Be able to participate fully in a scholarship in English. For the purposes of this opportunity, only applications in English will be accepted.
- Commit to taking part in all the activities of the scholarship, with the full support of your media agency.
- Commit to being part of an online community with current and future scholars.
- Have strong and stable Internet access for virtual activities (minimum 1.2 Mbps).
- Please provide a signed letter of support from an editor, producer or supervisor who can confirm that you will have time to participate in all the fellowship activities (equivalent to 2 days a week for the duration of the fellowship) and that the reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers can apply, but must provide a letter of support from a media outlet they intend to report for. The template for this letter of support is provided for freelancers here and employees here .
- Provide 2 signed professional references (letters of recommendation) from supervisors or professional associates who are familiar with your skills, qualifications, training and journalistic interests.
Judging Criteria
They are looking for candidates who meet the following criteria:
- Proven experience covering issues related to climate change, biodiversity, the ocean and/or One Health;
- Long-term commitment to the field of journalism and to continuing to report on these issues;
- A relationship with an established media company and a letter of support signed by an editor/producer/supervisor agreeing to publish or broadcast any work produced during the fellowship.
- The EJN also considers the need to bring together a diverse group of journalists from different types of media, media outlets and geographies.
Application
For more information, visit EJN Reporting Grants .
