Deadline: 11-Aug-21
Applications are now open for the Lower Mekong Media Reporting Tour. This project seeks to expand network opportunities for Indian journalists by introducing them to counterparts in mainland Southeast Asia.
- Approve final slate of journalists.
- Recommend U.S. expert speakers as appropriate, including senior U.S. officials.
- Host a networking event for Indian journalists in Cambodia, to include an information session on U.S. policy in ASEAN.
Project Goal
This project furthers Mission Goal 4 and sub-objective by supporting U.S-India security cooperation in the Indo Pacific. It also supports Mission Objective and seeks to encourage India to play a leading role in supporting and promoting stability, connectivity, and maintenance of the international rules-based order in the Indo Pacific region and beyond. By expanding networking opportunities for Indian journalists with their counterparts in mainland Southeast Asia, and their peers in Cambodia, Indian journalists will increase their understanding of the unique development challenges in that country and pass that understanding to the Indian public through their reporting. This project will also strengthen journalism networks across the Indo Pacific region in support of the Indo Pacific strategy.
Project Objectives
This project seeks to convene eight Indian journalists, factcheckers, or media experts in a virtual environment with a range of experts to shine a light on external influences in the wider South and Central Asia region and in other Southeast Asian countries.
- Identify and select eight journalists from across India using the above criteria. Applicant should pay attention to gender balance and regional diversity.
- Organize, for a cohort of eight Indian journalists, participation in a series of high-quality online seminars with U.S. and international experts on the Lower Mekong Region, including background on the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.
- Facilitate a work-study reporting trip for a cohort of eight Indian journalists to travel to Cambodia to interact with Cambodian press.
- Facilitate both virtual and in-person opportunities for the cohort of eight Indian journalists to interact with Cambodian journalists, civil society members, academic experts on the region, and other key stakeholders.
- Develop professional opportunities for Indian journalists, informed by the experiences and knowledge from the visit, to share broadly with larger audience through their respective media outlets and public engagement systems evidenced by production/publication of at least one article per person.
- On return, in association with local press clubs, think tanks, and NGOs, support high-quality opportunities for the cohort of journalists to sensitize and educate audiences, as evidenced by the participation of each individual in at least one such event.
- Facilitate a mechanism to continue ties between Indian and ASEAN journalists.
Funding Information
- Funding Mechanism Type: Cooperative Agreement
- Estimated Total Project Funding: USD 80,000
- Estimated Award Ceiling (Maximum): USD 80,000
- Estimated Award Floor (Minimum): USD 60,000
- Length of Project Period: Not to exceed 12 months
- Anticipated program start date: September 1, 2021
Project Audience(s)
The primary audience is experienced journalists actively writing on international relations, factcheckers focused on countering false narratives, and media experts interested in International Relations and associated with think tanks and universities. This audience is primarily 30- to 50-year-olds across India with a university degree working in media, factchecking organizations, digital platforms, and think tanks. The secondary audience is the immediate consumers of the publications as a result of this exchange: academics, NGOs, think tanks, politicians, and interested public.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Think tanks
- Public and private educational institutions
- Individuals
- Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
- Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334671