NOFO: Combating Misinformation in the Digital Media Era (Pakistan)

The six-month training program will consist of three-day quarterly workshops with U.S. subject matter experts. The program aims to empower journalists with the skills and knowledge to effectively counter misinformation and disinformation, ensuring accurate and responsible reporting. The series of workshops will be designed to cover the following topics: Understanding Misinformation/Disinformation; Digital Verification Tools; Ethical Reporting in the Age of Misinformation/Disinformation; Refutation Methods, Cross-Media Collaboration, Balancing Freedom of Press with Content Regulation, and Building Audience Trust. The project will be in-person.

This program will aim to bring about positive change in the quality of news through capacity building of journalists in key areas including but not limited to enhancing digital literacy, inculcating a culture of collaboration and networking to verify information from more than one source, learning ethical reporting/journalism, technology integration, adopting safety measures, working on public awareness campaigns, and implementing feedback loops to receive constructive criticism to refine reporting processes.

This program will help empower Pakistani journalists to be more resilient against misinformation/disinformation and will help foster a media environment that prioritizes accuracy, accountability, and responsible reporting.This program will aim to strengthen civilian democratic institutions and protect human rights.

Objectives

• Increase the professional capacity of thirty (30) Pakistani journalists through training workshops on countering misinformation/disinformation.
• Participants to develop and publish thirty (30) stories showcasing the application of skills acquired in the training sessions.

Funding Information

• Number of awards anticipated: One (1) award
• Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $35,000 to a maximum of $50,000
• Total available funding: $50,000
• Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.

Target Audience

• Thirty (30) mid-to senior level male and female Pakistani journalists/reporters from relatively new print, broadcast, and digital media outlets. Must ensure gender balance of audience at least 50% female.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • The following organizations are eligible to apply:
    • Not-for-profit organizations
    • Civil society/non-governmental organizations
    • Public and private educational institutions
  • For-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
• This opportunity will not support:
  • Projects relating to partisan political activity;
  • Charitable or development activities;
  • Construction projects;
  • Projects that support specific religious activities;
  • Fund-raising campaigns;
  • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs
  • Scientific research or surveys;
  • Commercial projects;
  • Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;
  • Projects that duplicate existing projects; or
  • Illegal activities

For more information, visit Grants.gov.