Deadline: 26 March 2017
The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi is pleased to announce an open competition for a Media Educational Program (MEP). U.S. media and non-profit/non-governmental organizations may submit proposals to manage a year-long project to support the professional development of Georgian journalists from multi-platform operated broadcasters, newspapers and news-agencies through robust professional study tour at U.S. training centers/studios, with site visits, and short internships to relevant U.S. media outlets. The applicant should work closely with PAS throughout the grant period to identify Georgian participants.
Journalists and independent media play a critical role in ensuring the free flow of information necessary to develop and maintain democratic systems. The Media Educational Exchanges Program is designed as a training opportunity to enable Georgian journalists and media practitioners to play an important role in setting the standards and providing the skills necessary to develop and maintain free media. MEP expects to enhance the Georgian media’s capacity to meet the needs and habits of modern media consumers through the development of fast, user-friendly, easy to reach, smart and professional media products. MEP will provide funding for one year to enable a U.S. organization to coordinate a professional intensive study tour for Georgian journalists at U.S. media training studios, with site visits to relevant U.S. media outlets and to arrange internship placements for four English-speaking participants at different media organizations. This program will develop professional skills and teach about modern standards of multi-platform convergence media operations to the reporters of broadcasters, newspapers and news agencies that are already operating online platforms or which are in the process of becoming multi-platform media outlets. Participants will explore operational and business practices, marketing tools, media trends, and journalistic standards, including those of investigative journalism, media institutions, and media advocacy in the U.S.
The program should enhance the overall professional development of Georgian journalists, positively affect the media environment in the country, and enhance the role of the media in Georgia’s ongoing democratic reforms, in promoting transparency within the government and in setting higher professional standards. The purpose of this project is to support the professional development of practicing Georgian journalists, facilitate media organizations to become sustainable through adopting necessary marketing tools and operational practices through professional study tours and internships at U.S. media outlets. The latter will be offered to four English-speaking participants of the tour.
Objectives
Below is a sample list, though not exhaustive, of the types of objectives to include:
- General media business practices
- Organizational sustainability (marketing, ad sales, competition for media market share, etc.)
- Training in investigative journalism reporting, training in interviewing skills and techniques: the role of responsible investigative journalism in the U.S. and its role in informing the public on issues that affect government, local communities, business, and society; develop follow-up stories
- Training in issue-based journalism e.g. economic and business reporting
- Exploring new tools of fact checking and develop skills for producing analytical stories
- Training in new media: multimedia trends and techniques, integrated newsrooms.
- Participants will explore new media and how it is used in public and foreign policy, political campaigns and journalism.
Funds Available
The project will award $250,000 to defray the costs of three-week intensive study tour for up to 20 participants.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is limited to non-profit/non-governmental organizations subject to 501(c)(3) of the tax code. Direct funding for non-U.S. institutions is not available under this announcement.
- Applicants are not required to include funding from other donors. However, applications that include additional in-kind and/or cash contributions from non-U.S. Government sources will be more competitive, since cost-sharing demonstrates a strong commitment to the planned activities and will be considered to show great cost effectiveness.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
Eligible Country: U.S.
For more information, please visit Grants.gov.
