Call for Proposals: Grants for Investigative Reporting on Environmental Crime in East Africa

Grant Overview

EJN is offering reporting grants to produce investigative stories that dig deep into the illegal wildlife trade and environmental crime in East Africa and beyond.

EJN is looking to support 10 journalists based in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania with stipends of up to $2,000 each to support in-depth stories on illegal wildlife trade and other environmental crimes.

Proposed stories should reveal something new, for instance:

  • How do syndicates use online platforms and social media to conceal and market their illegal trade?
  • What tools do governments and other agencies use to conduct investigations into kingpins of illegal wildlife trade?

Eligibility

  • Applications are open to journalists (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with experience in investigative reporting and covering wildlife and/or environmental issues in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
  • We encourage applications from freelancers and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.
  • application can be as a group or individually
  • Freelancers with a demonstrable plan for publication and a letter of interest from an editor are encouraged to apply.
  • Similarly, photojournalists and multimedia practitioners with published visual work are also eligible.

Languages

Stories can be produced in English, Kiswahili, or local languages. However, applicants who intend to write or produce stories in their local language need to also include an English translation.

Grant approach

We expect to award ~10-14 grants of up to $2,000 each, depending on the proposal and needs. We will consider larger grant amounts for stories using innovative or investigative approaches that may be more costly and time-consuming.

Judging criteria

Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals:

  • 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: Is the budget realistic? Can the story be realistically completed within the stipulated timeframe? Ideally, the proposed story or stories should be published within three months of receiving funds, or no later than March 15, 2022.

More details and application of the grant are provided on the grant’s website; https://earthjournalism.net/opportunities/grants-for-investigative-reporting-on-environmental-crime-in-east-africa-round-two

Deadline: 30 November 2021

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