Solutions Journalism Accelerator Programme

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is launching a call to support up to 12 journalistic projects by individuals or teams of freelance journalists and/or staff journalists.

Purpose

• The Solutions Journalism Accelerator is a programme delivering grant funding, mentoring, coaching, resources, and knowledge transfer to support solutions-focused development journalism in European media.

Objectives of the Call

• Support: Identify and fund 12 journalists/teams of journalists (freelancers and staff journalists) to produce and publish stories across France, Germany and the UK that:
  • reveal new information
  • focus on under-reported subjects/concepts and/or on different angles of already-reported subjects/concepts
  • highlight:
    • target country priorities (France, Germany and the UK)
    • how these priorities will benefit underserved populations
    • global development topics (first 6 SDGs)
  • inform and encourage empathy across audiences in the target countries
  • result in real-world action/ impact by decision makers and stakeholders
• Connect: Help to broker constructive relationships between the funded journalists and with relevant external stakeholders and experts, in order to enhance their participation in the Call, help them to successfully publish their stories, and demonstrate the benefits of collaboration for extensive reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and wider themes of global health and/or global development.
• Inspire: Stimulate wider uptake of solutions-focused development journalism by providing journalists with resources and examples of best practice, and through sharing successes and failures of innovative adopters.
• Explore the business case that solutions-focused development journalism can create a more skilled, resilient and innovative ecosystem of journalism in Europe and create ongoing positive outcomes for citizens.
• Engage: Support at least 12 stories to be published within a four-month period that:
  • identify funding gaps related to the topics
  • help mobilise resources in the three target countries
  • encourage resource commitment that helps less developed countries

Funding Information

• Each of the funded journalists/teams of journalists will be awarded up to €8,500 (euro) to help them deliver solutions-focused development journalism stories during a 4-month reporting period.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to the Call:
  • Applicants must be freelance or employed journalists (staff journalists), or small teams of journalists, and should be experienced in reporting on development topics
    • There is no citizenship, nationality or residence/ location restriction on the applicants.
  • Applicants should have a track record of publication in respected media outlets in one or more of the following countries: France, Germany, and the UK.
  • Freelance applicants should be signed up to a press regulator, trust initiative, or part of a press association.
  • Applicants must complete, in full, the dedicated application form and:
    • a project budget
    • relevant policy/ procedure/ supporting documents: a minimum of two of the following should be published on your website or available via upload: relevant qualification(s) in journalism or related field(s), current CV/ history of working with trusted news organisations (in one or more of the three target countries), history of working in/reporting on development  topics, press card
  • Applicants must have a bank account that accepts international payments.

Ineligible

• Applicants must not:
• be from state-funded media organisations. For the purpose of this Call, state-funded refers to the direct funding of public service media organisations (whether state-owned or a private non-profit)
  • Staff journalists from media organisations indirectly supported through tax reductions or exemptions and/or favourable rates for public utilities are eligible. Staff journalists from organisations that receive direct disbursements, or subsidisation of costs, are eligible. Staff journalists from organisations that have received COVID-19 support grants from governments are eligible.
• be from state-controlled entities. For the purpose of this Call, state-controlled refers to editorial control by a government, which takes direct forms (e.g. through editorial guidelines or ownership structures) or indirect forms (e.g. state-controlled advertising revenue)
  • Freelancers and staff journalists from organisations that can prove editorial independence through processes, statutes or external assessment are eligible.
• be a freelancer that publishes content solely via a messaging service and/or newsletter and/or social media platforms.
• be a freelancer who is not a publisher of their own original journalism.
• be directly funded by/directed by/financially invested in by or affiliated with a political party or political activist group, religious or church group or diocese.
• discriminate based on race, gender, faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

For more information, visit EJC.