Deadline: June 1, 2023
Applications for the Václav Havel Journalism Fellowship 2024 are now open. The Václav Havel Journalism Fellowship is available to aspiring, independent journalists in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries and the Russian Federation. The purpose of the Fellowship is to help aspiring journalists from the region pursue their profession in support of media pluralism and independence.
Launched in 2011, the Fellowship is inspired by the late Czech president’s belief in the transformational role of journalism in challenging tyranny and oppression and builds on RFE/RL’s legacy of promoting more open societies through journalism. The Fellowship is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and RFE/RL, which is co-funded by the Ministry.
Program Details
The Fellowship is a seven-month program, which equips Fellows with cutting-edge journalistic skills and involves them in the daily editorial debates and discussions that inform a professional and independent press. Fellows spend six months at RFE/RL’s headquarters in Prague, where they are placed with an appropriate language service to receive daily, on-the-job training and mentoring while working alongside RFE/RL’s seasoned professionals. After Prague, Fellows spend a final month at a local RFE/RL bureau (if applicable).
The main components of the program are:
- professional mentoring alongside RFE/RL’s seasoned professionals
- training and development of journalistic skills on traditional, multi-media, and digital platforms
- participation in the daily editorial discussions that inform a professional and independent press
- independent work on a personal project
- understanding of the mission and practice of a professional, free, and independent media company
The Fellowship also features workshops on journalistic practices and tools; discussions with government officials, civic leaders, and regional analysts; visits to local media and news agencies in Prague; and professional development opportunities in the Czech Republic and abroad. Fellows will be expected to represent themselves and the Fellowship in English at public events and in discussions relating to media freedom in their country. In addition, applicants may apply to be assigned for the term of the Fellowship to Current Time, the 24/7 Russian-language digital and TV network.
Benefits
- A monthly stipend at the bureau and in Prague, housing, health insurance, and travel arrangements to and from Prague shall be provided.
Eligibility
- The Fellowship accepts applications from journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. In the cases of Belarus and Russia, only journalists currently living outside of these two countries may apply.
- Eligible applicants should:
- have a minimum of two years’ experience working as a journalist in their native language
- be committed to working as a journalist in, or for audiences in, their home country
- share RFE/RL’s mission
- be proficient in English
- Applicants for a Fellowship position with Current Time must demonstrate native-level fluency in Russian, strong writing skills, and some TV and digital experience. They must indicate their wish to be assigned to Current Time in their application materials.
Application
A complete application includes the following materials:
- curriculum Vitae, including current contact information
- personal statement
- 2 letters of recommendation
- 3 work samples
- letter to Václav Havel
For more information, visit Václav Havel Journalism Fellowship.
