UN Ocean Conference Fellowship 2025 (Funded to France)

As part of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network’s UN Ocean Project, they are pleased to announce a new fellowship program for journalists interested in attending and reporting from the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025, with support from the Bloomberg Ocean Fund. This edition of the conference will be focused on mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.

5-8 journalists will be selected for the in-person fellowship. Prior to the start of UNOC, fellows will receive informational resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting at the conference. They will attend pre-COP virtual workshop to meet their cohort and media trainer, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions to support pre-reporting and preparatory work.

While in Nice, fellows will participate in a series of specially designed activities, including an orientation session with ocean experts on the key issues at this UNOC, daily briefings led by EJN’s media trainers and interviews with high-level officials. The fellowship will offer valuable insights into the climate and environmental stakes of threats to the ocean and the measures required to protect the marine ecosystem. Fellows will also engage with their cohort and exchange ideas for effective reporting and receive editorial feedback and guidance on their stories from EJN’s media trainer.

Benefits of UN Ocean

• EJN will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to fellowship participation.
• Organizers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip. Note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the fellow’s individual responsibility, though EJN will reimburse visa costs.
• Fellows will also receive a per diem to cover daily expenses during their time in Nice.

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Eligibility for UN Ocean

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from any country with a coast. Applicants from countries in the Mediterranean region and low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged to apply.
• Have previous experience reporting on ocean issues (examples include threats to the ocean such as, IIU fishing, the impacts of algal bloom, acidification and pollution as well as innovative and actionable solutions to protect the ocean, such as technological advances to monitor ocean crimes, new multilateral agreements such as the Plastics treaty and High Seas treaty, funding mechanisms such as blue bonds, and policy measures such as Marine Protected Areas, fishing quotas, etc.
• Clearly indicate the kinds of stories they will seek to pursue while covering the conference.
• Be available for the conference in Nice from 9 until 13 June 2025, arriving on 7 June and departing on 14 June.
• Have a good command of the English language.
• Share an up-to-date resume/CV.
• Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer, or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply but must provide a letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report.
• Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples which focus on ocean issues (preferably covering ocean governance/policies related to marine protection). These can be uploaded as documents or web links. Stories can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis. Stories must have clear bylines and should have been published in the last 12 months.

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Judging Criteria

They are looking for applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrated experience covering marine issues and other environmental topics;
• Long-term commitment to the field of journalism and in continuing to report on these topics;
• A relationship with an established media house and possession of a signed letter of support from an editor/producer/supervisor agreeing to publish or broadcast any work produced during the fellowship.

Application

If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later, you can click ‘Save Draft.’ To return to the draft, you’ll need to go back to the opportunity and click ‘Apply now’ again to finalize the application.

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