Deadline: 15-Dec-20
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania and the Tirana-based human rights organization Together for Life launched a call for investigative stories, offering grants for five journalists to produce articles on the health sector.
The call is part of the project “Fighting Disinformation and Raising Transparency and Accountability in the Health Sector”, which is supported by the British Embassy in Tirana. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network is a network of non-governmental organizations promoting freedom of speech, human rights and democratic values in Southern and Eastern Europe.
The goal of this project is to contribute to a transparent and accountable healthcare system, particularly in the way institutions and the government face up to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the key objectives of this project is to raise transparency and accountability in the health sector by raising the capacities of civil society, journalists and independent media.
The journalists will have around three months to dig deeper and research their ideas, and will also have the opportunity to work with experienced editors as mentors to guide them through the process of writing in accordance with BIRN standards.
Funding Information
- Through this competition five (5) investigative journalists will be selected to produce investigative articles in the field of health, in cooperation with civil society. The winners will be selected by a jury composed of experienced journalists and experts in the field.
- Selected applicants, who will receive a scholarship of GB 1,000 (minus personal income tax), will have a three-month period available to complete their investigation and prepare the article for publication.
Topics
Priority in the selection will be given to proposals which include one of the following topics, suggested as a priority during an online roundtable organized between journalists and civil society representatives during November:
- Cost of health services and lack of treatment protocols;
- Lack of services and specialized doctors in different regions of the country;
- Restriction of access to patients with chronic diseases (such as thalassemia, HIV / AIDS, tumour diseases, etc.) to health services during the pandemic;
- Quality and access to mental health services;
- Esi Access to reproductive health services for vulnerable groups and those in rural areas;
- Corruption in the pharmaceutical market and abuse of drug prices during the pandemic;
- Corruption and lack of transparency in public procurement in the field of health;
- Costs of concession services and those contracted in private hospitals;
- Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of other diseases;
- Violation of patients’ rights.
Criteria
- All journalists in Albania, employed by other media or in the free profession, have the right to apply.
- Applicants can submit more than one application, but only one nominee will be selected.
- Candidates must formulate a detailed proposal for the competition. Proposals should aim to expose concrete cases of lack of law enforcement, lack of access or quality of services or corruption in the field of health.
For more information, visit https://birn.eu.com/news-and-events/birn-albania-and-together-for-life-open-call-for-investigations-on-healthcare/