Deadline: 17 March 2019
Heinrich Böll Foundation is inviting applicants for its 2019 Transatlantic Media Fellowships that support well-researched transatlantic journalism.
Each year, the Heinrich Böll Foundation sponsors a select number of journalists from the US and Europe for an independent, transatlantic trip to research stories relevant to the foundation’s work on climate and energy policy, foreign and security policy, shared challenges to democracy, as well as technology and digital policy. Fellowships are selected annually and are open to journalists in any medium.
Benefits
The Heinrich Böll Foundation offers a stipend of $3,500. The stipend is partially paid in advance to cover travel costs related to the project and partially paid after completion of the reporting.
Issue Areas
Please apply for only one of the following issue areas:
- Climate & Energy Policy
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories on climate and energy policy in the US and/or in Europe. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Energy transition towards renewables
- Phase-out of fossil fuels
- Climate activism and civil movements
- Prevention of fossil fuel and nuclear projects
- Sustainable transport concepts
- Just transition and Green New Deal
- Research should be conducted in the US or Europe.
- Applicants should be:
- based in Germany and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in the US; or
- based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in Europe.
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories on climate and energy policy in the US and/or in Europe. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Democracy
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories on challenges to democracy in the US and in EU member states. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Applicants should be based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in Europe.
- Foreign & Security Policy
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories related to Europe and its neighborhood, foreign affairs, and transatlantic relations. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Old and new migration routes to Europe
- The threat of election interference and disinformation campaigns in Europe
- The changing relationship between Europe and Russia
- The future of arms controls and nuclear disarmament in Europe
- New challenges to the European security architecture
- Views on foreign policy in US rural communities
- The relevance of transatlantic trade for the US, particularly rural communities
- Defense industries and their economic impact on regions in the US and Europe
- Research should be conducted in the US or Europe and its neighborhood.
- Applicants should be:
- based in Germany and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in the US; or
- based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in Europe and its neighborhood.
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories related to Europe and its neighborhood, foreign affairs, and transatlantic relations. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Technology & Digital Policy
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories on US/European or transatlantic debates and policy responses related to China’s growing technological power and influence. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Responses to Chinese investments in core tech industries, such as robotics and chips
- Data privacy and network protection
- Ethical concerns about the use of Chinese technology, such as surveillance
- Competitiveness in AI solutions, in fields like autonomous driving
- Exchange or competition with China on green AI solutions
- Activities of Chinese technology firms in the US or EU, for example in mobile payments
- Exchange or competition with China in global standard-setting for new technologies
- Research should be conducted in the US or Europe.
- Applicants should be:
- based in Germany and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in the US; or
- based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in Europe.
- Applicants in this category should pitch stories on US/European or transatlantic debates and policy responses related to China’s growing technological power and influence. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
Eligibility Criteria
- They seek journalists with a strong track record of publications, working in any medium, who offer new perspectives on transatlantic policy debates.
- They will give special consideration to journalists:
- from regional or local media outlets who can demonstrate that transatlantic reporting is a new and important perspective for their audience
- women and journalists from diverse backgrounds
- whose story ideas would be informative for regional or local policy debates
- who may not otherwise have the opportunity to conduct transatlantic research
- Note: They do not require fellows to be citizens of either the US or the EU; however, fellows are responsible for securing their own visas, if necessary. They can provide a letter of support for the visa application process.
- Please note that eligibility criteria differ by issue area.
What’s Expected
- Reporting: They are open to different reporting formats and recognize that each fellow must meet the requirements of their own media outlet. However, the most successful proposals generally follow one of the following formats:
- one longer, investigative piece (about 2000 words) with visual/multimedia material;
- three shorter articles (about 1000 words each);
- multimedia pieces such as podcasts, short films, or photo essays.
- Each fellow is expected to publish content from their trip in any print or online medium no later than October 31, 2019.
- Publication: Fellows must be able either to guarantee the publication of their pieces or to demonstrate a strong track record of publications. Regardless of publication, they require all fellows to submit completed stories at the end of their fellowship.
- Crediting the foundation: Fellows will retain full editorial control over reporting but should credit the foundation for supporting their research. The Heinrich Böll Foundation retains the right to feature the final pieces on its website following their publication, either as an excerpt or in its complete form. In cases where publication with a media outlet cannot be secured, articles may be published on the foundation’s website.
- Active social media engagement: A key aim of the fellowship is to make the journalistic process more transparent to readers. Fellows are therefore expected to actively engage with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the public over Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram while traveling and developing their stories.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://us.boell.org/media-fellowships