Thomson Reuters Foundation one-week Reporting workshop on Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery in Nigeria is a unique opportunity for journalists in West Africa to gain practical skills and knowledge and work on story ideas with guidance from experienced Thomson Reuters Foundation journalists and subject experts from reputed anti-trafficking charities. The workshop offers a combination of specialist expertise and hands-on training, with an emphasis on producing high-impact stories for widespread dissemination.

The global trade in human beings is bigger today than at any time in history. Estimates of the numbers of people caught in modern slavery vary from 21 million to 36 million in an industry worth more than $150 billion in illegal profits a year. The world’s refugee crisis now involves 68 million people displaced from their homes, a record high. It’s one of the biggest stories of our time. Yet a lot of reporting on trafficking and forced labor is mired in cliché, myth, and misconception. It often lacks a nuanced understanding of the causes of the scourge and the tools to fight it.

The journalism workshop will shed a major focus will be on the ethics of reporting slavery, from how to interact sensitively with traumatized survivors to getting past journalists’ own preconceived notions as well as stereotypes. We will cover safety issues, particularly when it comes to dealing with sources and reporting on organized crime.

As well as coming away with a deep understanding of the scale, nature, and causes of the problem, participants will learn about efforts to set global standards for combating modern slavery, including fundamental conventions, international instruments and a new, legally binding protocol that requires countries to take real action.

Fully Funded Thomson Reuters Foundation Workshop

Thomson Reuters Foundation can fund travel expenses for participants traveling from outside Lagos. Further, the candidates attending the Human Trafficking & Slavery workshop will receive accommodation from the organizers.

Eligibility for the Thomson Reuters Foundation Workshop

The Thomson Reuters Foundation accepts the application from Indian full-time journalists or regular contributors to media organizations in West Africa. Further, the applicants must be able to demonstrate a commitment to a career in journalism in their country. Hence, a senior journalist with a minimum of three years’ professional experience must be proficient in English. However, applicants attending the Thomson Reuters Foundation training program within the last two years are not eligible to apply.

How to Apply for 2019 Workshop on Human Trafficking & Slavery

Journalists should apply for the Thomson Reuters Foundation Workshop on Human Trafficking & Slavery via the online application form. While applying, the candidate must upload the following documents including:

• 2 relevant work samples (maximum file size 5 MB) – in English if possible. For stories not in English, please include a 250-word English summary about the story.
• A letter from your editor consenting to your participation in the program and committing to publish/broadcast resulting stories

Deadline

The candidates must submit their application for the Thomson Reuters Foundation Workshop on Human Trafficking & Slavery by 1 October 2019. Applicants sending the application after the deadline are not eligible to attend the workshop.