Deadline: July 6, 2017
Internews’ Earth Journalism Network is offering a series of reporting grants to support fisheries and environment journalism in West Africa as part of a wider and recently launched capacity building project in the region. With the overall goal of improving journalists’ ability to expertly tackle the often overlapping issues of overfishing, illegal fishing, food security and ocean governance, the project aims to further explore the economic and social consequences of overfishing on coastal communities, through stories and investigations.
The two-year project reflects the goals of Target 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG14) adopted in 2015 by the UN General Assembly to “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” Funding for this series is being provided by the Adessium Foundation.
Story Themes
Internews’ Earth Journalism Network welcomes all story ideas relating to fisheries management in West Africa. They are looking to bring awareness to new and/or underreported threats or solutions to the management of West African fisheries. Stories and applications may be in either English or French. Special consideration will be given to applicants looking to conduct in-depth, investigative or enterprise reporting on the following topics:
- the impact of overfishing and IUU fishing on coastal communities,
- the use of destructive fishing practices, bycatch and fish aggregating devices
- community-led fisheries management initiatives
- poverty reduction and food security through sustainable fisheries
- challenges of transboundary management of fisheries and shared stock
Grants
- EJN is offering up to $500 per grant with some flexibility for deep, investigative stories using innovative approaches to storytelling. Applicants should provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested and a breakdown of likely costs incurred.
Eligibility
- Working Journalists (online, print, television) and other expert media practitioners based in West African countries are welcome to apply;
- Applicants who have a track record of reporting on fisheries or other environmental issues will have an advantage, but organizers are open to supporting professional journalists who can offer other types of expertise (for instance, in business reporting);
- They encourage freelancers and staff from all types of media outlets—both large and small—to submit applications, but please indicate where you expect to publish or broadcast your story;
- They also encourage journalists who attended the African Journalists for Sustainable Fisheries Workshop to apply for the grants.
Expected Story Length
- Investigative feature: 1,500 – 3,500 words (can be combined with video, photos, graphics, and/or maps)
- News article: 700 – 1,500 words (can be combined with video, photos, graphics, and/or maps)
- Video package: Video piece (2-6 minutes in length) that can be accompanied by text, graphics, photos, and/or maps
- Online multimedia package: Interactive website featuring some combination of text, video, graphics, photos and/or maps to enhance the story
NOTE: Proposals should include detailed plans for accompanying multimedia elements such as photos, maps and video.
Application Process
- Begin your appliation here
- Please download this budget form to complete your application
For more information, visit West African Fisheries Reporting Grants.
