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NOFO: Bolstering East Africa’s Investigative Journalism Ecosystem (Kenya)

Deadline: 15-Jul-24

The U.S. Embassy Nairobi, Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State invites organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to support investigative journalism and practices that aim to build up Nairobi as a hub for public interest journalism.

This program will focus on teaching investigative journalism techniques to professional and citizen journalists, civil society members, and others, with an emphasis on how to identify inauthentic behavior and the application of artificial intelligence in online publications. The program must include designing an investigative journalism curriculum, developing materials, virtual exchanges, training, and mentoring. The program should include a structured fellowship program which would host and support participants conducting investigative projects. Finally, the program should lead to the creation of an independent Center for Investigative Reporting in Kenya and an institutional sustainability strategy. Funds are authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act.

Nairobi’s media sector is the most developed in East Africa and boasts a professional corps of journalists across multiple established outlets in broadcast, print, radio, and online. Kenya’s leading media houses provide news coverage in neighboring countries, and Nairobi is also home to East Africa correspondents for most major international news organizations. Nairobi’s strengths as a regional media hub with academic, social, and professional journalism infrastructure make it an ideal location for developing stronger public interest journalism across East Africa.  However, Kenyan journalists face many of the same challenges as their counterparts in neighboring countries and will benefit from training and support.  Financial challenges including declining revenue and struggles monetizing online content have resulted in headcount reductions and resource cuts across the industry.  This difficult financial situation, coupled with occasional political pressure, have stretched remaining members of the media and left limited resources for in-depth reporting.

Goals
  • Projects should be designed to achieve the following:
    • This project aims to amplify Kenya’s leadership in building Africa’s digital resilience by supporting key civil society actors, media outlets, and citizen journalists to make Nairobi the regional hub for public interest and investigative journalism. Supporting the investigative ecosystem in Kenya—a regional media and technology leader—would have an outsized impact in East Africa and the broader continent, particularly as the center creates professional linkages with counterparts in neighboring countries.
    • The project intends to impart a variety of investigative journalism skills to a range of actors focused on increasing government transparency and identifying inauthentic online behavior including the application of artificial intelligence or deepfakes in online publications. Participants in training will learn and share best practices and develop strategies aimed at reducing barriers to investigative reporting on sensitive issues. The training should include financial support for participants to pursue investigative projects and publish stories, with funds dedicated to selected projects, pre-publication review for legal liability, and funding for proactive litigation to compel access to information.
    • In addition to skills building, the program intends to foster a more connected environment among civil society actors, citizen journalists, media players, and others to build a more cohesive investigative ecosystem for East Africa, based in Nairobi.
    • Proposals under this grant opportunity must include the following:
      • Training of citizen journalists, civil society actors, and others working in this space focused on critical digital skills, including but not limited to training in best practices in investigative journalism, training in detecting inauthentic online behavior, including the application of artificial intelligence or deepfakes in online publications, and journalistic techniques for uncovering/unmasking government corruption and impropriety;
      • The program should include a structured fellowship program which would host and support journalists from Kenya and elsewhere in East Africa conducting investigative projects;
      • Legal services for participants to support their efforts to seek information from the government in the public interest as well as legal liability review of potential stories;
      • Training opportunities to strengthen connections among journalists in Kenya and the East Africa region; and
      • Creation of and strategies for the sustainability of an independent journalism center based in Nairobi.
Funding Information
  • Total Funding: $986,500.00 (FY 2023 Economic Support Funds (ESF)
  • Anticipated Number of Awards: 1-3 (dependent on amounts)
  • Period of Performance: 12-24 months
Program Activities
  • To achieve the goals and expected results, the program should include the following:
    • Mapping of journalists and other individuals working to expose public interest stories;
    • Development of curriculum in investigative reporting skills, including but not limited to training in best practices in investigative journalism, training in detecting inauthentic online behavior, including the application of artificial intelligence or deepfakes in online publications, and journalistic techniques for uncovering/unmasking government corruption impropriety;
    • Kenyan NGOs and journalists with counterparts in the region will be brought together workshops/conferences to enable networking and best-practice exchange among journalists in East Africa. Participants will also be exposed to global practitioners and journalistic standards.
    • Legal support for participants to support their efforts to seek information from the government in the public interest as well as legal liability review of potential stories;
    • Creation of networking opportunities through workshops, conferences, available to regional journalists;
    • The creation of a structured fellowship program which would host and support journalists from Kenya and elsewhere in East Africa conducting investigative projects;
    • Training opportunities to strengthen connections among journalists in Kenya and the East Africa region; and
    • Creation of and strategies for the sustainability of an independent/public interest journalism center based in Nairobi (proposals should include a sustainability plan for the center).
Expected Results
  • Specific results could include the following:
    • Participants are trained to identify inauthentic online behavior, the application of artificial intelligence or deepfakes in online publications and techniques for unmasking government and private sector impropriety.
    • Participants are familiarized with constitutional rights enabling them to seek information in the public interest and also potential legal liabilities associated with exposing stories of corruption where individuals are named. Participants are offered opportunities to network with like-minded individuals – journalists, citizen journalists, members of civil society – who share interest in exposing public interest stories.
    • Participants receive mentoring and are offered fellowship opportunities and are exposed to investigative journalism best practices.
    • A sustainable center for public interest journalism is created to enhance ongoing learning and networking opportunities.
    • While participating in the program, each participant publishes investigative, public-interest pieces under the mentorship of program leaders.
    • Upon completion of an investigative journalist institute, a cohort of journalists will be trained to identify inauthentic online behavior, the application of artificial intelligence or deepfakes in online publications, and techniques for unmasking private sector and government impropriety. Each journalist will publish up to two articles within the program and be supported in this endeavor with funds to offset expenses incurred, mentoring, pre-publication review for legal liability, and funding for proactive litigation to compel access to information.
    • A sustainable network of NGOs and journalists is created to foster networking and share best practices beyond the completion of the award.
Key Audiences
  • Audiences include traditional media, citizen journalists, NGO actors and others who are committed to increasing transparency and government accountability.
  • Training should be offered primarily to Kenyan journalists, and regional actors who are influential beyond their borders (for example, regional journalists working on issues that cross borders and have broad policy interest).
  • Participants chosen for the program should be geographically, linguistically and ethnically diverse, as well as gender-balanced.
Eligibility Criteria
  • U.S. Embassy Nairobi welcomes applications from:
    • Not-for-profit organizations subject to section 501(c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations
    • foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO)
    • Public and private educational institutions
    • Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
  • Applicants must have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with local in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders and have successfully administered similar projects.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.