Deadline: 10-Apr-22
The National Foundation for India (NFI) has launched the Media Fellowship Programme to support credible journalism and independent journalists in India.
Under the programme, several grants are made to independent journalists on a rolling-basis every quarter. Their fellowship programme particularly favors independent journalists from difficult geographies and diverse social background, especially those who have been marginalized due to their socio-religious, gender and other locations. The fellowship is offered for journalists working with different Indian languages and English every quarter.
NFI now announces the launch of the fourth round of its media fellowship programme. In their fourth round, they are offering fellowships to another 35 Independent journalists. Twenty five (25) fellowships are being offered for independent journalists reporting in Urdu.
- Of these 10 is for multimedia Urdu journalists in partnership with The Wire Urdu.
- And another 15 fellowships are for Urdu text journalists.
Kind of Stories you can Pitch for the Grant
- The story is reported deeply, evidence-based and well-investigated. The story could be a news-break, a news analysis or a news feature. It could be specific to the region or geography you report.
- They want to support stories that do not stop at merely reporting an incident or an event but draw these out in the context of larger trends in governance, society and the political economy.
- They discourage essays and analysis that does not contain deep reporting.
- The story could be on one of these themes or on the intersection of these themes. This is an indicative list and not an exhaustive one.
- How are local, district, state or central governments responding (or, not responding) to the second wave of covid-19.
- Specific stories of how people, communities, civil society and/or businesses responding to the second wave of covid-19. The public health challenge in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
- Particular conflicts over common property resources, resource-capture and corruption. Contests and conflicts over natural resources.
- Cases, episodes or developments impacting the environment.
- Misgovernance. Or, good governance.
- Livelihoods and rights of people.
- Functioning of essential services and social security schemes.
- Workings of businesses and economy that impact society, rights and resources.
- Social cooperation and innovation in the face of new challenges.
- Civil and fundamental rights of citizens.
- Evidence-based trends in how their societies are changing.
Funding Information
Each fellow will be granted INR 30,000 to publish one story of 1,000-1,500 words on a broad range of themes and issues of public interest, reported in depth over one month.
Eligibility Criteria
- Any independent journalist/freelance reporter not engaged on a full-time basis with any media organization.
- Former NFI fellows may apply for the current fellowship. However, the selection team will give more preference to those who have not received their fellowship earlier.
- A recent graduate in subjects other than journalism.
For more information, visit https://www.nfi.org.in/fellowships