Earth Journalism Network calls application for Grants for Investigative Reporting on Environmental Crime in East Africa.

Successful applicants will put these grants toward travel for field reporting, research, and production. The Earth Journalism Network expects all applicants to attend a series of virtual Investigative Media Roundtables that will begin in October. They will also be announcing them on our opportunities page, so please check back here after applying. Earth Journalism Network Grants for Investigative Reporting on Environmental Crime is part of EJN’s East Africa Wildlife Journalism project, which aims to boost coverage of conservation and wildlife issues in the region and is supported by funding from the US Department of the Interior and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The roundtables will be open for all journalists to attend, and each will focus on investigative reporting in one of the four countries listed above. In addition to providing attendees with information on wildlife trafficking, it will help connect them to sources and resources for their investigations.

Eligibility

Earth Journalism Network Grants for Investigative Reporting on Environmental Crime are open to professional journalists and media organizations from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Stories can be produced in any of the following mediums: print, television, radio, or online. Some of the criteria that EJN will consider in judging the applications include:

• Experience in investigative reporting, particularly on wildlife or environmental issues.
• Commitment to attend at least one of the virtual Investigative Media Roundtables.
• Audience size, and whether the applicant will produce stories for international, national, local, or community-based media.
• Attendance at our Investigative Media Roundtables.
• Stories can be produced in English, Kiswahili, or local languages.
• Applicants who intend to write or produce stories in a language other than English will be asked to include a translation of the headline and a short summary in English for publication by EJN.

Selection Criteria

Selection Committee will evaluate the entries

• Timing: Ideally, the proposed story or stories should be published within three months of receiving funds, or no later than May 15, 2021.
• Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of this call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
• Angle: If the story has already been covered by mainstream media, does your proposal bring new insights into the topic or offer a fresh angle?
• Impact: Will the investigative piece trigger debate and urge action?
  Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches and data visualization will be considered a plus and should be explained in detail in the proposal.
• Feasibility: Can the story be realistically completed within the target time frame? Is the budget realistic?
• Diversity: EJN will take gender and geographical distribution into account when selecting the grantees in addition to the criteria above.
• Budget: Judges will strongly evaluate and consider whether the budget is reasonable and is aimed at covering costs needed for the research and reporting rather than externalities.

More information here