Deadline: 11-Mar-23
The Fritt Ord Foundation is pleased to announce an open call for the Norwegian Journalism Programme.
For quite some time, the Fritt Ord Foundation has had media and journalism as one of its core target areas. In the current demanding situation being experienced by the media, and thereby by the public sphere as a whole, they aspire to do even more to support and promote high-quality journalism in several fields.
Funding Information
- The Foundation is allocating up to MNOK 25 annually for four years for journalistic projects.
What does Fritt Ord Fund?
Fritt Ord awards support for projects that help promote freedom of expression, public discourse, art and culture. The measures supported should contribute to the common good and be available to the public.
- Event: Fritt Ord supports a number of seminars, conferences, festivals, film screenings and other types of events.
- Books: It is possible to apply for support for manuscript development, translation and printing/production. These three types of support are not mutually exclusive. Fritt Ord primarily supports non-fiction publications, and usually rejects applications for support for novels, self-help books, reports and publications related to specific campaigns. Fritt Ord generally does not support books in languages other than Norwegian.
- Media and Journalism: It is possible to apply to Fritt Ord for support inter alia for article production, journals, podcasts, radio productions, reporting excursions and TV productions. This type of projects sorts under the Fritt Ord Foundation’s own programme: “Norwegian Journalism”. The funding for journalism has its own deadlines for applications.
- Films: It is possible to apply to Fritt Ord for funding for the development and production of documentary films. It is also possible to apply for funding for promotional activities. Fritt Ord only rarely funds fiction films. Applications for funding for documentary films are usually submitted by the film producer. An application is in a less favourable position if it has no producer.
- Dramatic Art: It is possible to apply to Fritt Ord for funding for script development for theatre performances and the production of theatre performances. In some cases, Fritt Ord also funds dance performances. They have no tradition for funding concerts or projects based solely on music.
- Photography: Fritt Ord funds photo projects, photojournalism, photo exhibitions and photo-books.
- Podcasts: It is possible to apply to Fritt Ord for funding for podcast productions. They give priority to documentary podcasts and current events podcasts with well-defined themes – Fritt Ord does not fund fiction podcasts.
- Art Projects: It is possible to apply to Fritt Ord for funding for the production of art projects, art films, exhibitions and catalogues.
- Exhibitions: Fritt Ord funds exhibitions at cultural institutions, museums and other venues.
- International Projects and Organisations: Fritt Ord mainly funds projects in Norway (or with clear ties to Norway). In special cases, Fritt Ord may help promote freedom of expression in other countries. This funding constitutes a fairly small part of the Foundation’s total, annual allocations. They give priority to international organisations that work to promote freedom of expression, freedom of the press and journalism.
- Scholarships/Grants: They also offer an annual fellowship for one Norwegian journalist til study at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.
- Libraries: Fritt Ord has an annual call for applications from libraries for earmarked funding for the promotion of literature in Norwegian public libraries.
- Academic Research: Fritt Ord rarely funds research projects or academic reports. On the other hand, they may be interested in funding projects intended to result in nonfiction books or journalism.
Not Funded
- Some projects do not fit into any of the main categories. If you are uncertain about whether your project qualifies for funding from Fritt Ord, please contact the Foundation directly.
- Some examples of types of projects that might qualify for funding include:
- Archive studies and safeguarding archives
- Commemorations
- Music projects
- Websites and other digital development projects
- Organisational development
- Educational programmes
- Projects that are typically never funded by the Fritt Ord Foundation include:
- The preservation of cultural artefacts
- Physical buildings and infrastructure
- Campaigns, activism and information materials
- Information films/projects
- Feature films
- Fiction books
- Commemorative publications
- Archive and digitisation projects with no outreach component
- In-house courses/skills upgrading, workshops with few participants
- Closed meetings
- Concerts and music recordings
- Study tours and field trips
- School tours
- Projects aimed at young children
Eligibility Criteria
- The initiative is completely open when it comes to topics. When applying for project support, journalists, editors and editorial staffs are free to choose the topics and contents of their projects. The Foundation’s goal is to help facilitate projects that can become important parts of the social debate for as many people as possible.
- The projects are intended to target the general public. Applicants may use any publication platform, and are encouraged to be multi-medial. Any independent, editor-driven publication with Norwegian media users as its target group may apply. News rooms and individuals may both apply, but all support is to go to named individuals. They are open to new forms of cooperation between several editorial boards/groups of journalists, and freelancers with publication agreements are invited to apply.
- They aspire insofar as possible to support work on the content to be published, while providing less support for operating expenses, technical development projects and the acquisition of equipment.
- They ask that applicants submit project outlines that are 3 to 5 pages long, and as specific as possible. Project outlines should include a schedule, a description of the content (e.g. in the form of a list of articles or a publication plan/schedule) and a list of project team members with a five-line resume for each of them. They also ask for an attachment detailing other sources of funding, if any, as well as own efforts and an overall project budget.
- Freelancers are asked to provide a brief verification of their publishing agreement and the level of remuneration provided by the editorial board(s) that will be publishing the project. Please note that an allocation is intended to be in addition to a fee, and that funds you receive from Fritt Ord are not to be used to reduce the level of the fee you receive.
- Label the application “Norwegian Journalism” in the title field.
For more information, visit Fritt Ord Foundation.