Applications Invited for Virtual Reporting Fellowships

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About the Organization

Created in 2004, EJN is now a truly global network of reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world.

Environmental and climate change reporting is now more urgent than ever, but journalists face myriad and mounting challenges in covering these topics. The media industry is in crisis, and misinformation is on the rise. Reporters working for cash-strapped news agencies often don't have the resources to research a story properly; freelancers, even less so. That’s where EJN comes in.

About the Fellowship

The end of 2024 will see two major UN conferences taking place, gathering key stakeholders and decision-makers from around the globe. As biodiversity decline and the climate emergency cause ecological, social and financial upheaval, covering UNCBD COP16 and UNFCCC COP29 negotiations and outcomes will be crucial.

The UNCBD COP16 conference takes place in Cali, Colombia from 21 October–1 November 2024 . It will see key players examine progress made toward the safeguarding and restoration of biological diversity. COP16 will focus on supporting countries so that their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) align with the Biodiversity Plan, mobilizing and bolstering the means of implementation – primarily funding – and finding a way to govern access and benefit-sharing (ABS), particularly to Digital Sequence Information and genetic material.  

The UNFCCC COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11–22 November 2024. It will be a key gathering to advance the goals of the Paris Agreement and make progress on Parties’ mitigation and adaptation targets. The priorities of this COP include both upscaling national efforts to reduce carbon emissions through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and negotiating a new climate finance goal, replacing the existing commitment of $100 billion annually until 2025. Success at COP29 hinges on establishing a new goal that is based on the needs of and addresses the previous goal's shortcomings.

To build journalists knowledge of climate and biodiversity policy and improve their capacity to report on these important conferences, EJN is offering two virtual fellowship opportunities for early-career environmental journalists, or reporters who would like to improve their understanding of the UNFCCC and UNCBD negotiations process and related issues, to enable them to cover these conferences remotely for their outlets.

Applications for the UNFCCC COP29 and UNCBD COP16 Virtual Reporting Fellowships will be accepted until 15 August. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. Please consider submitting at least one day in advance of the deadline to avoid any issues. This year’s CCMP Fellowship is organized and implemented in collaboration with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, with generous support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Additional funders may be confirmed later.

Eligibility

Requirements for the two Fellowships are different so please read the below carefully:

To be eligible for the CBD Virtual Fellowship to cover UNCBD COP16 remotely, applicants must:

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from either of the two eligible regions: Africa* or Latin America** (see below for a list of eligible countries);
• Commit to participate in all fellowship activities (up to 20 hours in total across the fellowship period), including:
• Four weekly 60-90 minute virtual training sessions in the month leading up to the COP
• 1-2-1 sessions with your mentor as needed
• Daily 30–60-minute virtual briefings from the COP between 21 October – 1 November 2024
• Commit to spend 4-6 hours independently crafting each of your stories from the conference;
• Have sufficient internet access, internet speed and local broadband capacity to allow them to attend all virtual sessions on Zoom (1.0-1.5 mbps), or can secure good internet access with use of the stipend to be provided; be able to complete an Internet speed test;
• Have a good command of the English language;
• Have previous experience reporting on biodiversity and environmental issues, and can clearly indicate the kinds of stories they would like to pursue during the conference;
• 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; and
• Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples on biodiversity topics, which 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. Clips must focus on biodiversity topics and should have been published in the last 12 months.

How to Apply

Application Deadline:15 August 2024, 11:59 PM (Pacific/Niue)

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