Deadline: November 12, 2019
Applications are open for the IWMF Adelante Reporting Initiative Fellowship 2020 in Mexico-Guatemala Cross-Border. Adelante is the IWMF’s Latin America reporting initiative that seeks to reduce the gender gap in the region by giving women journalists the opportunities and skills to amplify their voices and to advance in their careers. The Initiative builds on the successes of the IWMF’s African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative.
Adelante provides international reporting trips, year-long fellowships for in-country journalists, and expanded security training in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and the Mexico-United States border. Adelante is made possible by a generous five-year, $5 million grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Program Details
As part of the IWMF’s Latin America reporting initiative, Adelante, five pairs of journalists will travel to Tapachula, Mexico and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala from March 2 – 17, 2020. All reporting fellows will begin their trip in Mexico City on March 2 where they will complete a four-day Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) course from March 3 – 6. Fellows will then depart for the Mexico-Guatemala border for nine days of reporting in Tapachula, Mexico and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and the surrounding areas. The IWMF will determine the exact number of days spent in Tapachula and Quetzaltenango after the reporting fellows have been selected.
The focus of this reporting trip is to generate media coverage of under-reported issues in Mexico and Guatemala and to promote new narratives in the international media. Fellows will have the opportunity to network with other journalists, report collaboratively with their teammates and peers, and gain access to a variety of sources and sites related to their reporting. The feasibility of trips outside of the base location in Mexico and Guatemala will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and determined by IWMF security protocols. Any travel must be within a three-hour radius of the base location. The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all fellows.
Cost
- The IWMF also covers fellowship-related costs within the framework of the reporting trip including travel, visa fees, lodging, meals and fixers/interpreters, unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs. Fellows living outside the U.S. are responsible for procuring all necessary visas for which they will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the fellowship.
Eligibility
Journalists must apply for this reporting fellowship in pairs. All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Affiliated or freelance women-identifying or non-binary journalists with three (3) or more years of professional experience working in news media. Internships do not count toward professional experience.
- Non-native English speakers must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program.
- Applicant must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.
Application
For more information,see FAQ or visit IWMF Fellowship.
