Deadline: June 22, 2020
The GroundTruth Project is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the Preserving Democracy & Voting Rights Fellowship 2020 as leaders of many countries around the world seek to restrict democratic institutions and instruments, including the ballot box.
Building upon previous coverage of voting rights and threats to democracy worldwide, they are looking for story proposals that examine how these threats are unfolding at the local level, and how individuals, organizations and communities are responding.
With support from the Jesse and Betsy Fink Charitable Fund, Solutions Journalism Network, MacArthur Foundation and Henry Luce Foundation, GroundTruth will offer fellowships in as many as 10 U.S. states and five countries with a focus on what America at large can learn. Given the realities of COVID-19, preference will be given to candidates who are already based in or near the communities they seek to cover, and safety will remain the highest priority throughout the fellowship, which consists of six nonconsecutive weeks between June and October.
Thematic Focus
Key themes of the project include but are not limited to:
- The role of technology in the electoral process, or more broadly in the functioning of democratic society;
- The role of women in shaping electoral policy, shaping institutions and/or civil society;
- The intersection of religion and democracy;
- The targeting of Black, Hispanic and Native communities in voter disenfranchisement efforts, along with voter mobilization campaigns in those same communities.
Benefits
- Each fellow will receive a total of $5,000 — which will cover all travel expenses and a fee to the fellow.
Eligibility
- Open to candidates from anywhere in the world.
- Candidates may apply with a partner or partners.
- Applicants are videographers, photographers, writers, audio reporters and data journalists.
- Experience covering voting rights, politics or threats to democracy is preferred.
- They particularly seek proposals that integrate compelling human stories with attempted solutions relevant to those stories (whether they have been proven effective or not).
Application
If applying as a partnership or team, each person should submit their own application and mention the proposed partner or team members.
For more information, visit The GroundTruth Project.
