Apply Now: Forest Governance Story Grants 2025

The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is offering the 2025 Forest Governance Story Grants to support journalists producing investigative, evidence-based stories on forest governance. Selected reporters receive funding to cover fieldwork, travel, data collection, and other reporting costs. The program aims to strengthen public accountability and highlight critical issues such as deforestation, illegal logging, land rights, and policy failures.

Overview

The 2025 Forest Governance Story Grants provide financial support for in-depth reporting on how forests are governed, managed, protected, or exploited. The initiative aims to enhance public understanding of environmental governance and encourage journalists to uncover hidden forest-related issues.

Focus Areas

The grants target journalism that investigates:

• Forest governance systems

• Deforestation and environmental degradation

• Illegal logging and timber trade

• Land rights and community conflicts

• Indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental justice

• Policy gaps, enforcement failures, and ecological impacts

These themes help expose weaknesses in governance frameworks and promote more transparent public reporting.

What the Grant Covers

Selected journalists receive funding to support:

• Field reporting and travel

• Data gathering and verification

• Interviews and documentation

• Multimedia evidence collection

• Research and analysis required for high-quality stories

EJN expects to award 7 grants, each averaging GBP 1,500.

Who Is Eligible?

Applicants must:

• Be professional or freelance journalists

• Demonstrate experience or interest in environmental, climate, or forest-related topics

• Show a commitment to investigative, evidence-based reporting

• Be able to carry out independent fieldwork

• Submit a strong story idea tied to forest governance

Journalists from regions heavily affected by forest-governance challenges are especially encouraged to apply.

Why This Grant Matters

The program strengthens environmental accountability by:

• Bringing underreported forest issues into public view

• Enabling journalists to investigate systemic failures

• Highlighting community-level impacts and indigenous rights

• Supporting evidence-rich stories that influence policy and public debate

How to Apply

Follow these steps:

1. Prepare your story proposal: Clearly define the forest governance issue you will investigate.

2. Explain relevance: State why the topic matters and how it fits the grant’s objectives.

3. Provide a reporting plan: Timeline, fieldwork details, interview targets, and intended output.

4. Budget submission: Outline expected costs that align with the average grant size.

5. Submit via EJN’s online application system: Include samples of previous work if required.

Applicants should ensure all materials are complete, concise, and focused on investigative depth.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting a broad or unfocused story idea

• Overlooking governance or policy dimensions

• Failing to explain reporting feasibility or field access

• Providing unrealistic budgets

• Weak justification of the story’s impact or relevance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What types of stories are most competitive?
Investigative stories with strong evidence, clear governance angles, and community impact tend to score highest.

2. Can journalists collaborate on one proposal?
Yes, collaborative reporting teams can apply as long as roles and responsibilities are defined.

3. Are multimedia or cross-border investigations eligible?
Yes. EJN encourages multimedia, cross-border, and data-driven investigations.

4. Do I need prior experience in forest reporting?
No, but applicants must show strong reporting skills and commitment to environmental topics.

5. Can the grant cover equipment purchases?
Typically the grant supports fieldwork and reporting costs, not major equipment purchases, unless justified.

6. When will award decisions be announced?
EJN usually follows its standard review timeline; applicants will be notified directly after selection.

7. Can published stories be in local languages?
Yes. Stories can be produced in local or international languages depending on target audiences.

Conclusion

The EJN 2025 Forest Governance Story Grants empower journalists to conduct critical investigations into how forests are managed and protected. With funding, field support, and a focus on high-impact storytelling, the program helps shine a light on governance failures, environmental injustices, and overlooked community struggles, contributing to stronger accountability and better forest stewardship worldwide.