EJN launches Journalist Fellowship for Infrastructure Reporting

Story Themes

• They welcome story ideas that focus on infrastructure development (and related activities such as illegal logging or mining) and the subsequent threats to the environment and human rights of local communities.
• They also welcome solutions-driven story pitches highlighting the actions of policymakers, civil society organizations, local communities and business sectors to deter and mitigate the threats posed by infrastructure development in the Lower Mekong.

Funding Information

• Participants who successfully complete the training will subsequently be eligible to apply to receive story grants (with an average budget of $2000 each)

Logistics and Expectations

• To equip journalists with the skills to not only investigate the environmental and human rights impacts of infrastructure development in their communities but also to do so safely, EJN’s STRIDES project is running a hybrid training program. EJN will select 15 journalists who will take part in a series of online training sessions (8-10 hours over five days) and a two-day in-person workshop in March 2024. EJN will cover the cost of travel, accommodation, and meals of selected participants.
• Participants who successfully complete the training will subsequently be eligible to apply to receive story grants and be closely mentored by experts as they research and investigate their stories. They expect the stories to be completed by September 2024.
• Each selected journalist will be paired with an EJN senior journalist who will act as a mentor throughout the story development process. Participants will also receive support through the resources and tools made available via the STRIDES online knowledge portal.
• Fellows will be expected to dedicate the minimum equivalent of two days per week to fellowship activities, which may include but is not limited to story production, full attendance at the initial online and in-person workshops, and calls with mentors.
• Fellows are expected to produce at least one story during the course of the fellowship for their media outlet. Each Fellow will be required to participate in monitoring and evaluation activities including completion of surveys and will be asked to submit a blog post at the end of their fellowship speaking about their experience.

Eligibility Criteria

• Participants can be from Thailand, Laos PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia, or Vietnam. Journalists can produce stories in local languages suitable for target communities, but all stories should also be made available in English.
• They especially encourage women and mid-career professionals to apply.
• Applicants must:
  • Commit to attending all days of both the online and in-person workshops.
  • Have at least two years of experience reporting on infrastructure and/or environmental topics in any medium (online, print, television, radio) from all types of media organizations – international, national, local and community-based.
  • Understand and be able to communicate in English. 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 either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff.
  • Permit republication by EJN of any output as a result of participation in the fellowship.

For more information, visit EJN.