Deadline: 21-Jun-22
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is offering grants to Moroccan journalists wishing to produce in-depth reports on the scale of unsustainable marine management and biodiversity loss in the Mediterranean Sea.
Launched in March 2022, the Mediterranean Media Initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of journalists to produce independent reports on the current state of the Mediterranean Sea, to cover solutions offered by technology and citizen-led innovations, and to investigate crime and corruption that are either cross-border in nature or in national waters.
With the support of the Adessium Foundation, EJN is pleased to offer five grants for this first round of fellowships to selected Moroccan journalists to report on overfishing and the biodiversity crisis in the Mediterranean region. In addition to funding, selected journalists will receive support from experienced mentors throughout the story production process.
Topics
They welcome story ideas that address the following topics:
- The loss of biodiversity in the Mediterranean
- Threatened marine species
- Marine protected areas
- marine pollution
- The deep seabed
- Illegal and destructive fishing
- The destructive impact of bottom trawling
- Destructive fishing practices (trawling, nets, dynamite)
- Overfishing of species such as red sea bream, European hake, blue and red shrimp, offshore rose shrimp, sardines, anchovies, sardinella, red mullet, Black Sea turbot, eel dolphinfish and dolphinfish, as well as the impact of incidental captures of vulnerable species such as sharks, seabirds and sea turtles.
Funding Information
- They plan to award five grants with a maximum budget of €250 each.
- They plan to award the grants in July 2022 to mark World Oceans Day, with a deadline for papers to be published no later than October 1, 2022 . Applicants should consider this timeline when writing their work plan.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be based in Morocco.
- Groups of journalists are eligible, but the application must be made on behalf of a principal applicant. Principal Applicants are responsible for communicating with the EJN and for receiving funds on behalf of the group, if awarded.
- For this grant opportunity, they will only accept written applications in English and French. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider requests in other languages at this time. Candidates should have a good understanding of English and French or have a translator to help them communicate with Internews staff.
- Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other media professionals with professional reporting experience. Applications are welcome from early career journalists and experienced reporters with experience in environmental issues.
- They encourage applications from freelance journalists and staff from all types of media – international, national, local and community.
- EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants if they are found to have engaged in unethical or inappropriate professional behavior.
- EJN welcomes submissions that highlight the impact of these practices on coastal communities, including the loss of sustainable livelihoods, the hardship of small-scale fishers, the decline of valuable ecosystems, and the loss of natural and cultural heritage.
- They also welcome submissions for articles that highlight solutions or actions proposed by governments, commissions, local NGOs, fishing communities, as well as non-state actors and companies working on developments related to artificial intelligence and maritime surveillance, including the use of drones, satellite technology to help solve marine problems in the Mediterranean.
Evaluation Criteria
Applicants should consider the following points when developing their article proposals.
- Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why is this story important and for whom? Are the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
- Angle: If the story was covered, does your submission shed new light on the subject or offer a fresh angle?
- Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, grab attention, spark debate and spur action?
- Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a plus.
- Publication planning: Journalists, whether freelance or employed in a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publishing the stories by October 1, 2022.
For more information, visit https://earthjournalism.net/opportunities/reportage-sur-la-mer-mediterranee-subventions-offertes-aux-journalistes-marocains