Call for Applications: MSF Without Borders Media Fellowship 2024

Journalists awarded with this fellowship are expected to produce at least one in-depth report by engaging with affected populations and stakeholders. The fellows will have an opportunity to work closely with mentors, who are experts and thought leaders in journalism and public health, as well as medical and operations specialists from the MSF movement.

The Without Borders Media Fellowship aims to promote continuous reporting and outreach on the intersection of factors affecting public health and humanitarian conditions, including planetary health, social class, access to health resources, diagnosis, and treatment, conflict and violence, urban development, and disparities in healthcare access.

Aims

• The Without Borders Media Fellowship aims to:
  • Encourage cross-border and hyper-local reporting on health and humanitarian crises.
  • Leverage multimedia storytelling to build public awareness and mobilization.
  • Engage a community of actors interested in humanitarian response and medical action.
  • Document and highlight critical practice or policy issues in healthcare delivery.

Grant Categories 

• General Grant
  • The General Grant supports in-depth reporting across four themes:
    • Refugee Health:
      • With health and well-being jeopardized during displacement, the lives of the most vulnerable can be on the line. The number of people who have been forcibly displaced across the globe has doubled over the last decade, and their health needs continue to mount. They face displacement, inadequate living conditions, and barriers to accessing healthcare. Critical interventions in refugee health are urgently needed for comprehensive medical services, including mental health support and disease prevention.
    • Maternal and Child Health:
      • Maternal and child healthcare represents a fundamental human right, but it remains inaccessible for many in crisis-affected or remote regions. Many women across the world give birth without medical assistance in remote or conflict affected areas, massively increasing the risk of complications or death. However, most of these deaths are preventable. There is a need for greater focus on reducing maternal and infant mortality.
    • Mental Health:
      • People living with mental health issues—like anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—require specialized care, including group or individual consultations to overcome psychological distress. Certain chronic diseases may also lead to symptoms of psychological distress. In conflict-affected areas, the psychological scars of war and displacement add another layer of complexity to mental health challenges.
    • Emergency Response:
      • Emergency situations or natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes can overwhelm an entire population. Thousands of people can be injured or traumatized by the loss of family, friends and homes. Preparedness, adaptability, and immediate action is crucial in public health emergencies. Journalists are expected to document the impact of natural disasters and emergencies on communities, focusing on the immediate healthcare needs and the coordination of rapid medical care.
• Grant on Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs):
  • Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as dengue, lymphatic filariasis, and leishmaniasis impact millions globally, especially in South Asia. These diseases are aggravated by inadequate sanitation, limited healthcare access, and poverty. They are predominantly prevalent in tropical areas and lead to significant health, economic, and social vulnerabilities. Despite their widespread effect, NTDs often remain underfunded and overlooked in the global health agenda. Addressing NTDs is not only a matter of health but also of equity and social justice. It aims to uplift the most vulnerable populations and close the gap in global health disparities. Journalists are expected to explore the complexities of NTDs from the lens of gender, pediatrics and climate change. They need to emphasize on the need for targeted interventions such as safe, affordable and effective treatment and improved healthcare infrastructure.

Funding Information

• Media Fellows who are selected in the MSF program are provided with comprehensive support throughout their journey. This includes mentorship, subject matter sensitization, and training, as well as access to MSF projects and experts. They also receive funding for reporting costs for field visits, based on reasonable and detailed budgets. Most awards range between INR 50,000 to INR 2,00,000 (or the local currency equivalent). The amount may vary depending on individual circumstances.
• The Fellowship award covers a duration of three to five months for the project, with some projects requiring further consideration depending on the application and reporting proposal. Fellows are expected to publish their work before the end of 2024.

Benefits

• The Fellowship award aims to support media professionals by providing the following:
  • Reporting costs
  • Access to MSF projects
  • Knowledge sharing on MSF’s model of care
  • Mentorship
  • Training/sensitization
  • Resources to produce in-depth, insightful reporting.

Scope of Funding

• The grant awarded by MSF only covers reporting or travel costs. MSF expects and encourages news organizations to pay journalists for their work. In exceptional cases, they may consider stipends to cover a reporter’s time. If you are applying on behalf of a newsroom, please note that they do not allow overhead or indirect expenses in the budgets. For multimedia journalists, especially those producing news feature stories, MSF South Asia will feature their work on its website as well.

Deliverable

• Fellows will work closely with the MSF South Asia Communications Team and mentors to finalize their reports. They must ensure coordination on the presentation or representation of any facts, anecdotes, and lived experiences, both medical and non-medical, that may affect patient privacy, rights, and access to healthcare. Fellows must pick only one type of reports below for his application:
  • Print/Digital: Fellows must publish a minimum of two article series (800 words each; feature or analysis) OR one long-form story (1500 words minimum) on a notable news platform. If the journalist is already working in a news organization, the organization must be willing to publish the story.
  • Video/Multimedia: Fellows must publish one (8 minutes minimum) video story or short film, or photo essay, including photographs or illustrations, supported with text (15-20 photos and 600 words) OR two video series (4 minutes each).
  • As part of their application, candidates must include letters of commitment from news outlets, national or international, to publish or broadcast their work.
  • Fellows will be encouraged to participate in a webinar/Facebook Live session, ideally in association with another organization/MSF/media platform where the stories are published, where each fellow will speak about their work and highlight the cause.

Who can apply?

• MSF welcomes applications from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Nepal:
  • Journalists of all nationalities and from diverse backgrounds, including staff reporters, photographers, radio/audio journalists, and television/video journalists working in print, television, online media (including YouTube), as well as freelancers based in the countries above.
  • Applications must be submitted in English. However, applicants are encouraged to additionally publish their stories in local languages of their region.

For more information, visit MSF.