Deadline: 8 January 2024
The Journalism Centre on Global Trafficking (JCOGT), in collaboration with the Center on Human Trafficking Research and Outreach (CenHTRO) at the University of Georgia, is happy to announce a six months training programme for Sierra Leonean journalists interested in reporting on human trafficking.
This new fellowship will endeavor to further and deepen investigations into human trafficking in previously uncovered communities. Twelve Sierra Leonean journalists will be selected to take part in a hybrid training programme.
Benefits
- Journalists will meet with law enforcement, researchers, government officials, civil society organizations and others to expand their knowledge of exploitation and trafficking.
- Journalists will be able to visit courts and meet with attorneys trying trafficking cases. Participants will receive specific training from lawyers working on trafficking in person’s cases. Journalists will learn the process from start to finish on how to cover a trafficking in person’s case in the court.
- Participants will receive skills training around reading and understanding data, investigative reporting and best-practices while interviewing survivors and minors.
- Participants will receive story coaching, mentoring, and editorial assistance to support their efforts to produce high quality and in-depth stories.
Eligibility Criteria
- Journalists who are interested in improving their investigative skills delving into how criminal justice intersects with trafficking; and reporting in rural areas are especially encouraged to apply.
- All applicants should be active journalists working in a Sierra Leonean media outlet. (print, online, TV or radio)
- Applicants should have at least four years experience in journalism and a maximum of fifteen years.
- Applicants should be based in Sierra Leone at the time of application and should commit to complete the full programme when selected.
- Applicants must have a high proficiency level of spoken and written English
- Alumni who benefitted from the 2023 programme are encouraged to apply.
- Freelancers can apply with a recommendation from a media outlet where they usually publish stories. Applicants will be required to provide one story idea that they would like to pursue during this programme.
For more information, visit JCOGT.
