Deadline: 15-Jun-23
The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy Bogota (PDS Bogota) announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program that supports advancing media and information literacy competencies of Colombian journalists.
Targeting primarily journalists and other media professionals (correspondents, radio and television announcers, influencers, among others) based in the regions and smaller urban areas outside of larger cities, the selected implementing partner would provide capacity building and trainings for 75 journalists and media professionals during a period of 6 to 12 months.
Program Objectives
- Today’s Colombian information environment is highly complex and dynamic. Yet, while many professional media enterprises thrive in Colombia’s largest cities, there is a lack of media diversity in many regions. The journalists who are currently working in rural areas are exposed to multitudes of sources sharing information simultaneously and competing for the attention of audiences.
- PDS Bogota seeks proposals that will strengthen both regionally and locally based Colombian journalists and media professionals’ capabilities to counter disinformation, including through enhancing their ability to identify and analyze independent, reliable, high-quality news and information, promoting the critical thinking skills that foster reality-based narratives, building networks of like-minded leaders, and strengthening best practices across the country.
- Proposed projects will work with an audience of 75 established communication professionals. Programs should seek to include groups that can bring perspectives based on their religion, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender identity.PDS Bogota’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches. Examples of activities included in potentially successful proposals could include, but are not limited to:
- Conduct five in-person training courses to increase Colombian journalists’ and media professionals’ capacity and professionalism, media literacy, fact-checking, and verification of credible sources, in the geographic regional areas identified. Ideally, the five trainings would take place once each in the following locations: Cali, Medellin, Cucuta, Barranquilla, and Bogota.
- Provide training that promotes the development of innovative technologies or solutions to strengthening media literacy and/or unmasking misinformation/disinformation (i.e., tools that support easy fact checking or the identification of disinformation and misinformation.)
- Provide training on skills and technology to enable journalists to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate information.
- Engage Colombian and U.S. trainers, consultants, and experts at all levels of the program, to design and implement trainings and workshops, and provide post-training support to enlisted organizations.
- Provide digital training materials and a website with resources to be made available online to raise public awareness.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $60,000
- Award Ceiling: $70,000
- Award Floor: $50,000
- Length of performance period: Up to 12 months.
Priority Region: This program should be aimed toward 75 regional press and media journalists, communicators, social media influencers, and/or content producers and media specialists from regional areas outside main cities. Ideally, it would include 15 people each from the following areas:
- Region outside Cali
- Region outside Medellin
- Region outside Cucuta
- Region outside Barranquilla
- Region outside Bogota.
Participants and Audiences: At least 75 journalists and other media professionals (correspondents, radio and television announcers, influencers, among others) based in the regions and smaller urban areas outside of larger cities.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations.
- Public and private educational institutions
- Individuals
- Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.