WSPS/Pulitzer Center Pitching for Peace Competition for Journalists 2018

Deadline: March 1, 2018

War Stories, Peace Stories (WSPS), in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, invites journalists working from any platform to pitch a project focused on an underreported nonviolent response or peace effort in an international conflict area. WSPS seeks pitches that illuminate peace efforts, nonviolent resistance, and reconciliation in areas of international conflict or extremism. They are interested in stories that capture the drama of peace negotiations, nonviolent protest and resistance, or community efforts to prevent violence and preserve peace.

They are looking for stories that help us understand nonviolent solutions to conflict, of ordinary people and communities working for peace in high-conflict areas, of emerging leaders attempting to realize their vision for peace. They are also looking for stories that will capture the imagination of editors at leading news outlets—and of the audiences they serve. WSPS seeks to encourage greater reporting on peace efforts and nonviolent resistance around the world and to inspire a wider range of approaches to conflict reporting.

Prizes

• Each winner will receive a grant of $5,000-20,000 to fund the development of their story (with amount dependent on budget for travel and related costs submitted to the Pulitzer Center). The Award will be given in two payments: the first half will be awarded by April 30, 2018, with the second half of the grant paid on evidence of publication of a finished project in accordance with the original proposal. The second half of the grants are not guaranteed if projects are not completed in a timely fashion. An additional award of $5,000, designated for one of the three winners, will be announced at the Symposium.

Eligibility

• Open to journalists of any nationality;
• Writers, photographers, radio and podcast producers and filmmakers; staff journalists as well as freelancers are eligible to apply.
• All application documents must be written in English;
• Members of the WSPS advisory board and production team are not eligible to apply.

Application

• Applications must be submitted online here;
• Three finalists will be announced on March 20;
• Awards will be announced live at the April 11, 2018 WSPS Symposium.

For more information, visit Pitching for Peace Competition.