Deadline: June 15, 2025
Applications are invited for the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund (KSMF) Awards 2025. The Awards recognise excellence and courage in reporting conflict, corruption, injustice and human rights issues. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports the number of journalists killed in 2024 reached record highs. As levels of violence and intimidation against media professionals surge, this recognition remains as vital as ever.
Named in memory of American freelance journalist Kurt Schork, who was killed in 2000 while on assignment for Reuters in Sierra Leone, the Awards recognise the bravery of journalists who take great personal risk, often for little reward, to shine a light on the truth and hold power to account.
Categories
The three award categories, open to those reporting for print and online publications, recognise the media professionals that Kurt particularly admired:
- Freelance Award: recognising freelance journalists who travel to the world’s conflict zones, usually at great personal risk, to witness and report on the impact and consequences of these events.
- Local Reporter Award: recognising the often-overlooked work of journalists in developing nations, or countries in transition, who write about events in their homeland.
- News Fixer Award: recognising the work of local journalists or experts, typically hired by foreign correspondents, whose guidance and local knowledge play an unsung but vital role in facilitating international coverage from difficult, dangerous or hostile locations.
Award
- The Awards recognise excellence and courage in reporting conflict, corruption, injustice and human rights issues, with winners receiving a $5,000 cash prize.
Eligibility
- Open to freelance journalists, local reporters and news fixers from around the world.
- Entrants for the Local Reporter and Freelance Awards must submit three articles each, published between June 01, 2024 and June 15, 2025. The judges will look for journalistic excellence in applicants’ submissions and evidence of determination and courage in obtaining their stories.
- News Fixer Award applicants must submit three references from foreign correspondents with whom they have worked during the same time period.
Application
Apply for the:
For more information, visit KSMF.
