Call for Applications: Virtual Media Workshop

Deadline: 16-Jan-2025

The Earth Journalism Network is hosting a three-day virtual media workshop (in two time zones) during the week of March 3, 2025 for journalists in coastal countries to learn about the 30×30 marine conservation target and initiatives being implemented to reach it.

As part of EJN’s Ocean Media Initiative, they are pleased to announce two virtual media workshops for journalists in coastal countries globally seeking to deepen their knowledge of the 30×30 target, to improve their reporting on solutions being implemented to reach the target, and equip their audiences with the information they need to hold governments accountable to their commitments.

Themes

• The workshop will cover topics such as:
  • How MPAs are designated using marine spatial planning
  • The stages of establishing an MPA and the different levels of protection
  • Participatory approaches in implementing and monitoring MPAs
  • Cultural landscape approaches and the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in marine conservation
  • MPAs and the High Seas Treaty
  • Debates on the effectiveness of protected areas for conservation
  • Technologies such as satellites, remote sensing, eDNA and artificial intelligence for the effective management of MPAs.
  • National and international policy negotiations and instruments to achieve the 30 x 30 target
  • Best practices in accountability, data and solutions journalism to enhance reporting on this issue
  • Approaches to improve audience engagement with marine conservation issues

Benefits 

• Journalists who participate in the workshop will:
  • Gain a better understanding of the 30×30 target;
  • Gain a better understanding of marine conservation strategies, including Marine Protected Areas and other area-based conservation mechanisms, regulations to reduce illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, newly developed tools like the 30×30 Progress Tracker and more.
  • Understand best practices and journalistic techniques for covering the progress toward 30×30, including how to use accountability journalism to monitor actions taken by governments and other decision-making entities;
  • Learn about equitable marine conservation and the extent to which biodiversity conservation efforts recognize and respect the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities over their traditional territories;
  • Become more familiar with national and international policies and commitments related to marine conservation and the implementation of the 30×30 target.

Logistics

• They plan to accept approximately 60 participants for the two workshops, with approximately 30 in each. Successful applicants will be notified in February.
• The workshops will take place virtually on Zoom over three days in March 2025, with 3 hours of training sessions each day. The workshop for journalists in Asia and the Pacific will be held from 9am-12pm Bangkok time, while the other will be held from 10am-1pm New York time for those in the Americas, Europe and Africa. Participants will be automatically placed into the workshop that best aligns with their location. While they strive to choose a time that works for as many time zones as they can, it is possible the timing of the workshop will be early in the morning or late at night for certain applicants. Please take this into consideration when applying.
• To ensure these workshops are accessible, EJN will offer a limited number of communications stipends to those with an unstable internet connection in remote areas.
• Participants who attend all sessions will receive a certificate of completion from EJN.
• Participants who attend all three days of the workshop will also be eligible to apply for a story grant to produce journalistic work following the workshop, which will be awarded to 16 journalists.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants can be from coastal countries anywhere in the world. They will not accept applications from countries with a freshwater coast; only coastal countries with a marine border will be considered.
• For the purposes of this training opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must have a working understanding of English to participate in and fully benefit from the workshop.
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other media practitioners with experience covering ocean issues.
• They welcome applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations – community-based, local national and international. They especially encourage women, rural, Indigenous and early-career journalists to apply.
• Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.

For more information, visit EJN.