PRB announces Call for Applications for South Asia Women’s Edition 2020

Deadline: 17 April 2020

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) welcomes applications for its Women’s Edition South Asia program. Women’s Edition offers a unique opportunity to become part of an international network of leading female journalists interested in health and development.

Women’s Edition is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is conducted by seasoned PRB trainers who have been organizing Women’s Edition activities for more than a decade.

Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 they are pivoting their Women’s Edition journalist training to provide assistance to their fellows so they can cover the world’s largest story. COVID-19 will change our world for years to come, over the next few months, newsroom resources will be directed towards understanding and tracking this pandemic. With this training, Women’s Edition will provide fellows a broader background on the myriad ways COVID-19 affects migration and population, family planning and reproductive health.

PRB will select three to five additional women journalists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan to participate, joining returning journalists from their 2019 cohort.

Program Structure

From April until September selected participants will engage in a series of virtual classes, networking events, and story developments workshops providing in-depth information and coaching on these topics. Fellows will also be eligible for reporting grants to support their stories.
In late Fall depending on travel restrictions participants will convene for in-person seminars to report upon areas hardest hit by COVID-19.
The on the record week-long symposium will introduce journalists to the key players, best practices, and innovative ideas and also provides continuous peer-to-peer networking and mentorship, plus access to global health and population experts and resources.
At the seminar, journalists will engage in sessions with health and development experts who will explain the reproductive and family health issues tied to COVID-19, participate in editorial meetings to develop strategies for covering these issues from a policy perspective, and join site visits to see innovative programs in action.
For the weeks following the seminar, participants will also be eligible for reporting grants for in-depth stories on , and support for additional conferences, workshops and related events.

Benefits

PRB will cover all seminar expenses, including travel, lodging, and meals.

What is expected?

After the seminar, Women’s Edition journalists must produce an in-depth special report, series of stories, or broadcast program on the issues covered for their media house. The seven or eight journalists who produce the best reports will be invited to participate in subsequent seminars and study tours in 2021 to delve further into reproductive health, population and development issues.

Eligibility Criteria

Intrepid women journalists who:

Report from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, or Pakistan
Hold an influential editorial position – senior-level editor, reporter, or producer – with a leading media outlet that has a large audience, such as national and regional newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations. Freelancers and bloggers with a robust publishing record may apply.
Demonstrate interest in women’s health, development, and population issues and a commitment to covering these topics
Communicate comfortably and effectively in English during the seminars, though they may write or broadcast in any language.

For your application, you will need to provide: