RFPs: Al Jazeera Fellowship Program

The fellowship program at the Al Jazeera Media Institute aims to encourage academic research and provide an opportunity for journalists and researchers to learn about practical experiences and study them in depth. This will contribute, along with the efforts of many Arab and international institutions, to improving the journalism profession and moving towards the future.

Objectives

• Encouraging innovation and academic and field research, especially in the field of digital journalism.
• Producing knowledge and enriching Arabic content in the field of journalism.
• Enabling journalists and researchers to gain a closer look at the work environment and learn about modern practices.
• Improving the quality of the journalism profession and enhancing its ability to adapt to modern technologies.

Focus Area

• Journalism and the Global South
  • Redefining journalistic practice in the Global South: Challenges to traditional journalistic approaches based on Western practices, and mechanisms for developing new approaches based on local contexts of the Global South.
  • Colonialism and Globalization in Media and Journalism: The Impacts of Colonialism and Globalization on Journalistic Practices in the Global South.
  • Data Flow and the Challenge of Narratives: The Impact of Single Data Flow on Narratives in the Global South, and the Role of Global Narratives in Influencing the Public Narrative on Palestine.
  • The impact of Western funding programmes on media in the Global South: The role of Western media funding programmes in guiding journalistic practices in the Global South.
• Digital journalism
  • How has the style of journalistic storytelling changed from traditional journalism to digital journalism? Has the media become more preoccupied with new technologies and visual glamour than with content and journalistic storytelling?
  • Fact-checking in journalism and verifying news.
  • The intersection of journalism with modern technologies in smart newsrooms, mobile journalism, data journalism, investigative journalism in the digital age etc.
  • Mechanisms for employing artificial intelligence within newsrooms.
• New schools in journalism
  • New patterns of journalistic work.
  • Photographic documentary.
  • Anthropological journalism.
  • Slow journalism.
  • Intersections of journalism with the humanities and social sciences.
  • Journalistic narrative techniques.
• Journalism Ethics
  • New ethical challenges for journalism in the digital age.
  • Hate speech in the media and social networks.
• Media institutions and challenges
  • Challenges facing independent media platforms.
  • Business models of media institutions and how to develop them.
  • Building digital transformation strategies within media institutions.
  • How do traditional media organizations integrate with digital platforms?
  • Challenges of journalism colleges in the Arab world.

Target Audience

• Journalists and researchers interested in journalism, media and other related fields.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet the following conditions:
  • At least two years of work experience in the media field.
  • Enjoy solid objective writing skills.
  • Have basic skills in researching academic sources.
  • Have very good language skills in Arabic and English (speaking and writing).

Application Requirements

• In addition to completing the online application form, all requirements listed below must be submitted in PDF format, with the exception of video or photo materials. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification.
• Biography
• Fill out the application form
• Imagine fellowship
• At least two samples of the applicant’s work, either in Arabic or English
• Letters of recommendation
• The visualization text should be between 1000-1500 words maximum, and consist of the following elements:
  • The topic chosen to be the research paper for the Al Jazeera Fellowship.
  • Where does the importance of the fellowship topic come from and the reasons for choosing it?
  • A brief definition of the main objectives of the research.
  • Research methodology and scientific theories to be used or approach angles.
  • The main challenges expected during the research preparation process.
  • The practical impact expected from the research and its areas of benefit.
  • How will you leverage your presence in the island environment to add qualitative value to the research?
• The following points should be taken into account in the presented concept:
  • The text must be original and prepared by the presenter of the concept.
  • The concept must be specifically designed for participation in the Al Jazeera Fellowship 2024.
  • Commitment to accurate reference to sources, which must be reliable and sound.
  • Submissions that do not adhere to academic integrity requirements, or contain previously published texts without clearly citing them within the criteria for proper citation of sources, will be rejected.
• Writing a research paper of approximately 7,000 words, according to the standards of the Al Jazeera Media Institute (the applicant will be informed of the standards upon acceptance into the program).
• The fellow must be responsible throughout the program period and submit a monthly report on the progress of the project.
• Interact with the Al Jazeera Media Network community by discussing the research topic with stakeholders and participating in open meetings.

For more information, visit Aljazeera Media Institute.