Applications call for Earth Journalism Network Asia-Pacific Media Grants 2021

The current COVID-19 crisis may be a preview of what’s to come with climate change and environmental destruction, but it also presents a unique opportunity for green recovery and more sustainable development. And although public awareness of environmental threats is growing, there is still a massive disconnect between the scale of the problems and the actions that are being taken to address them.

In this round of  Asia-Pacific Media Grants, Earth Journalism Network is seeking innovative ideas from journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations, or academic institutions throughout Asia and the Pacific that would:

• Enhance the impact of environmental reporting on topics including, but not limited to, climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, wildlife trafficking, natural resources management, and large-scale infrastructure development.
• Trigger conversations, analysis, and policy actions around the impacts of COVID-19 on climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, and other environmental issues.
• Strengthen partnerships and networks for environmental reporting, especially for transboundary media collaboration.
• Help organizations ramp up capacity-building activities online in order to improve environmental reporting under the current pandemic-related constraints.

Objects

Proposed activities should contribute to one or more of the objectives:

• Provide a quality environment and climate news and information to policymakers, at-risk communities, business communities, or the general public.
• Improve the capacity of local or regional journalists and other content producers to report on environmental and climate issues in an accurate and compelling way.
• Address barriers women or other marginalized groups (youth, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, and people with disabilities) facing in accessing environmental news and information, and ensure their voices are included in environmental reporting.
• Help generate positive changes in government policies, businesses environmental standards or consumer habits for a more sustainable way of life.

Eligibility

The following organizations and network are eligible for Earth Journalism Network Asia-Pacific Media Grants

• Media organizations, journalist networks, universities, and journalism institutions focusing on environmental reporting in the Asia and Pacific region are welcome to apply.
• Civil society organizations, community-based groups, and research institutes will also be considered but only those with strong media and communication components that are dedicated to supporting fair and accurate reporting.

Selection Criteria

The jury evaluates all eligible applications in a comparative context and makes funding decisions based on the availability of funds, the program objectives, and the following assessment criteria:

• The overall quality of the proposal.
• The relevance of the proposed project in contributing to the objectives and priorities of this grant program.
• The potential impact of the proposed project, including the quality and effectiveness of the project design.
• The financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed activity.
• The ability of the applicant to carry it out.

All applicants are necessary to submit a budget with the application form. Please download this template now and use it to build your project budget.