Call for Applications: Journalism Hub Fellowship (Kosovo)

Launched in 2018, the Journalism Hub Fellowship program aims to empower young journalists to advocate for the interests of the silent, the marginalized, the divided and the excluded. They achieve this goal by providing training, mentoring and financial support to early-career or aspiring journalists and media professionals. Participants are offered the opportunity to produce large, award-winning stories with a human rights perspective, under the supervision of experienced editors, to be published in the K2.0 magazine.

Benefits

• Running from May to December 2024, selected fellows will receive:
  • A comprehensive training program, consisting of eight days of intensive workshops spread over two months. These workshops will cover both technical skills and theoretical concepts, focusing specifically on journalistic ethics and the tools required to produce independent and original content. The objective is to support productions that are based on facts, thought provoking, and critically analyze topics that are often misrepresented or overlooked. This includes providing the theoretical knowledge necessary for quality reporting on subjects such as gender and sexual minorities, ethnic minorities, environmental issues, and dealing with the past, as well as technical skills related to various multimedia journalism formats. These skills encompass research and interview techniques, writing, editing, video production and photography. The training provided to selected participants will be customized to meet their specific needs and journalistic projects.
  • A eight-month mentorship program, providing participants with the opportunity to develop their stories under the guidance of K2.0 editors. K2.0’s journalistic approach places a strong emphasis on editing and fostering collaboration between writers and editors to enhance the depth and insight of stories. Throughout the program, participants will benefit from continuous support and supervision, guiding them from the initial stages of story development to its completion. This approach ensures a thorough and ongoing transfer of skills in producing high-quality journalistic content. As part of their mentorship, participants will be required to submit progress reports and a final report detailing their work.
  • A total of 1,500 EUR gross to produce a story as part of the program, intended for publication in K2.0 magazine. This gross amount is subject to deductions as per applicable legislation, including tax on personal income and pension contributions. It covers all expenses incurred by the participant in producing their story.

What they are looking for?

• Through their program, they aim to support the creation of impactful stories that address pressing human rights-related issues. These issues include, but are not limited to, gender equality, LGBTIQ+ rights, minority rights, youth rights, environmental rights, workers’ rights and civil rights. They are especially interested in stories that are often overlooked or misrepresented in the media.
• Your selection hinges on the submission of a compelling story idea that you intend to develop. Therefore, in your application, you should clearly identify a specific issue or topic within your chosen area.
• Your application must convincingly demonstrate the relevance of the story you wish to produce and why the selected format is suitable for effectively conveying the narrative. This involves showcasing an original approach to research, reporting, and production aspects of the topic while emphasizing the relevance and innovation in both format and content. Story proposals can address cultural, artistic or inherently political issues, but they must maintain a clear human rights-sensitive approach and perspective.
• Furthermore, proposals should address a contextual issue within Kosovo, with priority given to issues focusing on the local level.

Eligibility Criteria

• Through this call, their aim is to assemble a diverse group of young or aspiring journalists and media professionals who are passionate about human rights-focused and people-centered reporting. They highly encourage women and members of sexual and ethnic minorities to apply.
• To be eligible, applicants must:
  • Be Kosovar nationals, currently residing in Kosovo.
  • Be aged between 18 and 35.
  • Possess at least one year of professional experience and/or have completed two years of formal higher education in relevant fields, such as journalism, communication, photography, design, film or multimedia.
• Past recipients of K2.0 Fellowships are ineligible to apply.

For more information, visit Kosovo 2.0.