Call for Applications: Biodiversity Media Grants 2020

Deadline: 15-Oct-20

As a part of Biodiversity Media Initiative project, Earth Journalism Network is pleased to announce a new round of grant opportunities available for journalist networks, media organisations, civil society organisations or academic institutions that are working to improve media coverage of biodiversity and conservation issues in the Global South.

The biodiversity crisis is one that impacts all of humanity and does not receive the media coverage that it deserves. Media organizations and reporters have an important part to play in ensuring public awareness of biodiversity and conservation issues, as well as the potential solutions to these problems.

Funding Information

• This grant fund has 48,000 USD available for awards this year, which we would ideally share among three to five projects.
•  The average grant size to be between $10-15,000

Where can this funding be used?

• This opportunity is focused on building capacity for reporting in countries in the Global South, where the need is often the greatest and the pool of available resources is limited. We are especially interested in projects in high-biodiversity regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Central Africa and South East Asia, or other biodiversity hotspots.

The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that:

• Build the capacity of journalism networks and media organizations to report on biodiversity and conservation issues
• Carry out biodiversity and/or conservation training activities for journalists
• Build internal capacity
• Organize local networks around these issues

Projects funded by this grant should build awareness of the threats to biodiversity and conservation-based solutions by spreading quality news and information, with a focus on audiences in the Global South. Projects should also build the capacity of journalists and communicators to report on threats to biodiversity and on conservation-based solutions, by building their skills, knowledge and contacts.

The Biodiversity Media Grant will support projects that generally focus on training and capacity building, with flexible spending guidelines that enable local networks to invest in strategic opportunities, build the capacities of their members, and respond to communities’ needs.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Biodiversity Media Grant Opportunity is designed to support the awareness- or capacity-building around biodiversity and conservation, network building, content production around these issues, or creating digital or other media outlets.
• Applicants should note their affiliations with existing media organizations or provide detailed plans about how this project would facilitate the creation of a new network or organization.
• This opportunity is open to journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions.
• They will consider applications by NGOs or environmental groups looking to build the capacity of journalists to cover conservation issues, preference will be given to applications from or affiliated with professional journalists, media organizations, journalism schools and the like.
• All activities must take place in a country in the Global South, as defined by the DAC list of ODA recipients.
• They will also consider applications for activities to be held in Russia.

For more information, visit https://earthjournalism.net/opportunities/biodiversity-media-grants-2020