Investigative Journalism Training Program in Armenia

The initiative will advance the Embassy’s goal of bolstering the ability of independent media in Armenia to effectively inform the public, counter misinformation, and advance shared democratic values by building a pipeline of professionally trained journalists capable of producing quality journalism. The training program will be based on U.S. journalism education best practices and state of the art multimedia production techniques.

Goals and Objectives

• The goal of this project is to strengthen the Armenian media landscape and address the existing gaps in journalism education and capacities through building a pipeline of professional journalists capable of producing quality investigative and fact-based journalism content.

• The project seeks to fulfill following objectives:
  • Objective 1: Strengthen the core reporting knowledge, skills and abilities of aspiring Armenian journalists to produce quality, fact-based journalism content․
  • Objective 2: Specifically train aspiring journalists in investigative journalism skills to include data driven reporting, credible sourcing, interviewing skills, and media ethics.
  • Objective 3: Train aspiring journalists in the latest audio/visual techniques to produce high quality and engaging multimedia content with public impact.
  • Objective 4: Include the production of an investigative journalism story or multimedia content as a capstone project for each graduate of training program.
  • Objective 5: Support the professional development and career prospects of the program participants through internship placements with local media outlets.
  • Objective 6: Support the professional development of program graduates with fellowships to pursue investigative journalism projects, as well as other networking and continuous learning opportunities.

Award Information

• Length of performance period: up to 24 months (upon availability of funds may be extended for another 12 months).
• Total funding available under this notice is anticipated to be $500,000 for academic year 2024-2026. Depending on the availability of funds, project may be extended to FY 2026.

Main Activities

• The main activities of the two-year project will be establishment of the training program, design of the necessary curriculum, enrollment of students, and delivering two iterations of the one year training programs for a minimum of 50 aspiring journalists (minimum 25 participants each year). The recipient is required to utilize U.S. expertise and best practices in journalism education when designing the program curriculum. While the SOI should communicate the project idea and objectives, the applicants selected for the second stage of the application process will be required to submit proposals that will incorporate the following components into their activities, clearly indicating which activities will advance the stated objectives:
  • Establishment of a training program where Armenian aspiring journalists and journalism students will be trained with a strong focus on investigative journalism.
  • Development of a curriculum for the training program. Courses may include, but not be limited to, the following fields: Investigative Journalism, Data Journalism, Photo Storytelling, Video Storytelling, Video Shooting and Editing, Design, Visualization and Animation, Intro to Journalism and Creative Writing, English for Journalists, FactChecking, Ethics and Media Law, and Tech in Journalism.
  • Ensuring the admission and a year-long training program for 25-30 students per year, for two academic years (minimum of 50 students’ total).
  • Inclusion of the production of investigative journalism piece as a capstone project for each graduate of school/training center.
  • Ensuring the attendance of at least one U.S. expert for a master class for the training program students/graduates during two-year project.
  • Provision of graduates/alumni with follow-up fellowships for production of pieces of public interest journalism and in-depth investigative stories.
  • Placement of at least 20 students of the training program in internships at local media outlets.

Expected Results

• It is expected that the project will enhance the overall media environment and, specifically, bolster journalists’ capacity in combating disinformation, equipping citizens with accurate information, which will ultimately uphold the crucial role of media in overseeing democratic institutions.
• By providing much-needed supplemental education for undergraduate journalism students with a focus on investigative journalism, it will constitute an integral component in the pipeline of journalists trained in professional and ethical standards of journalism in Armenia.

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations in Armenia.
  • Educational institutions in Armenia.

Criteria

• Each SOI will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below:
  • Quality of Project Idea – 50 points: The SOI is responsive to project framework. The idea is communicated well and is feasible. SOI’s that promote creative approaches to address project objectives are highly encouraged. The proposed timeline is reasonable.
  • Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants –35 points: The SOI should demonstrate the organization’s expertise and previous experience in administering projects. If a local partner is identified SOI should briefly describe the partner’s role and experience.
  • Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: The SOI should clearly articulate proposed project activities and expected results towards achieving project objectives and goal(s).

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Armenia.