Deadline: 27-Sep-21
The NewsSpectrum is seeking applications for its Professional Placement Fellowships to support short-term work/experience placements or study visits by minority-language media professionals at majority-language media.
The Fellowships are designed to be flexible in nature and can support skills development of minority-language media and knowledge exchange on various aspects of the newsroom, including reporting skills as well as expertise in digital transition, audience engagement, community building and monetisation. (Journalists planning a specific reporting project should apply under the Collaborative Reporting Fellowship.)
The Professional Placement Fellowship offers applicants, in agreement with a host majority-language media organisation, the opportunity to design and put forward a flexible exchange opportunity that supports their needs.
Funding Information
- Up to 20 fellowships will be funded in 2021, providing a total of €240,000 to minority- and majority-language journalists and media outlets in the EU.
- Applicants at minority-language media may request up to €6,000. Travel costs (train/airfare) to in-person placements will be covered separately. In addition, host majority-language media organisations are also eligible to request up to €6,000 to cover their costs of participating in the fellowship.
Activities
The Fellowship supports the following activities:
- Short-term work/experience placements (at least two weeks) of minority-language media professionals at majority-language newsrooms.
- Study visits of minority-language media professionals to majority-language newsrooms (flexible length).
- Applicants may also suggest other/custom models of exchange or collaboration between minority- and majority-language media. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis. (Note: Specific reporting projects should be funded under the Collaborative Reporting Fellowship.)
For minority-language journalists, the fellowship will cover:
- Salary costs during the fellowship. Salary costs will be reimbursed directly to the journalist’s employer. Freelance journalists will receive a stipend directly.
- A reasonable stipend to cover local costs as part of the in-person portion of the fellowship (accommodation, local transport, subsistence).
- Travel costs (e.g., train/airfare) to and from the location of the majority-language media organisation (covered separately and above the €6,000 budget).
For majority-language media organisations, the fellowship will cover:
- Salary costs for staff members working with the minority-language media fellow.
- Other relevant costs, such as admin, travel or research costs.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications for the Professional Placement Fellowship must be sent by a media professional working for a minority-language media organisation in the EU or the UK. The fellowship is open to all members of the media organisation, including journalists, editors, photojournalists, newsroom managers, social media managers, community managers or staff focused on digital innovation. Freelancer journalists who are regular contributors to a minority-language media organisation are also eligible.
- The host majority-language media organisation must also be based in the EU or the UK. Cross-border work placements are encouraged.
- The Fellowship is open to journalists and media organisations working on all platforms, including print, broadcast, online media and multi-platform story-telling.
- In addition, priority will be given to media that meet the following criteria:
- publish original content on a regularly scheduled basis (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly). Original means self-produced information that is not republished content or a simple aggregation of news;
- have a track record of quality content;
- have at least 2 employed journalists or regular contributors; and
- an audience based primarily in the EU or the UK.
For more information, visit https://newsspectrum.eu/fellowships/ppf/