Deadline: 4 March 2019
Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is seeking proposals to offer grants to journalists in the Indian and Bangladeshi regions of the Bay of Bengal to support in-depth stories on climate and environmental change that inform communities most vulnerable to a changing climate to make better decisions and build resistance.
This grant aims to confront challenges by supporting the production of in-depth stories on climate and environmental change that improve the quantity, quality and access to information among vulnerable coastal communities in the Bay of Bengal region. This information can help these at-risk communities make better decisions about their options in the face of a changing climate and give them tools to build their resilience.
The story grants are provided as part of EJN’s Bay of Bengal project, implemented by Internews with generous funding from the Climate Justice Resilience Fund.
Type of Stories
- EJN is seeking in-depth stories that focus on climate and environmental change, natural resource management or related issues, such as climate-induced migration, agricultural and water issues or food security in the Bay of Bengal region. They have a particular interest in the impact of these changes on women and other marginalized groups (including youth, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities) and their ability to adapt.
- For the purposes of this grant call, EJN is accepting applications that support socio-environmental reporting and climate resilience-building in the Bay of Bengal region – specifically, in the coastal regions of four Indian states (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal), and coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Funding Information
EJN expects to award around 15 grants averaging $1,000 each depending on the proposal and reporting format. They will consider larger awards for in-depth stories using innovative or investigative approaches. Applicants should provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested using the template provided.
Eligibility Criteria
- Journalists (online, print, television, radio) with a track record of reporting on climate change, natural resource management and other environmental issues. EJN encourages applications from freelancers and staff from all types of media – international, national, local and community based.
- Grantees have to publish or broadcast their stories in their affiliated media. EJN, its partners and the Climate Justice Resilience Fund shall have the right to edit, publish, broadcast and distribute these stories freely, once they have been published/broadcast in the original media outlet. Freelance reporters should demonstrate a plan for publication and provide a letter of interest from an editor.
Expected Story Lengths
- Text-based stories: 1,000 to 3,000 words
- Photo stories: 10-20 images with descriptive captions and a short 200-400 word introduction
- Multimedia package: Text between 600 to 1,500 words with 2-4 minute video and/or graphics, photos and maps
- Broadcast: Video piece around 4-6 minutes in length with a short, roughly 200-word introduction
- Audio report/podcast: Feature of up to 20 minutes in length with short text to summarize the audio.
Judging Criteria
Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals
- Timing: EJN expects the proposed story or stories to be published by 31 July 2019.
- Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
- Angle: If the story has been covered by other media outlets, does your proposal bring new insights into the topic or offer a fresh angle?
- Impact:Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and urge action?
- Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches and data visualization will be considered a plus.
- Feasibility. Can the story be realistically completed within the given time frame? Is the budget realistic?
- Diversity: EJN will take gender and geographical distribution into account when selecting the grantees in addition to the criteria above.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit https://earthjournalism.net/opportunities/call-for-proposals-bay-of-bengal-climate-justice-and-resilience-story-grants