Applications Invited for Indigenous Environmental Journalism Story Grant Program

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About the Organization:

Earth Journalism Network (EJN) was developed to enable journalists from developing countries to cover the environment more effectively. They are now a truly global network working with reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world. In our mission to improve the quantity and quality of environmental reporting, EJN trains journalists to cover a wide variety of issues, develops innovative online environmental news sites and produces content for local media – including ground-breaking investigative reports.

Indigenous Environmental Journalism Story Grants

EJN is offering reporting grants to Indigenous journalists to support the production of in-depth stories that will call attention to climate justice, biodiversity, sustainable ecosystems and other issues related to the rights and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. 

Story Themes:

They welcome any story ideas that will explore how environmental and climate change issues are linked to the rights and well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities. They are particularly interested in stories that explore environmental solutions and resiliency, focus on resource use and traditional management practices, investigate land rights and environmental sovereignty, or highlight the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Indigenous land and communities.

Proposals that focus on topics or stories that have not been widely covered are preferred. Issues that have already received a lot of media attention or don't provide unique angles to environmental challenges are less likely to be selected.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must self-identify as Indigenous and will be asked to provide the name of their Indigenous community in the application. Applicants can be from any country in the world.
• For the purposes of this grant opportunity, they will accept applications in any language but those they receive that are not in English will be subject to machine translation. They do ask that applicants have either a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with EJN staff for follow-up interviews or, if selected, for mentorship and engagement.
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with investigative reporting experience and a history of covering environmental issues. They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations - international, national, local and community-based.
• They are seeking to support both early-career and senior journalists with many years of reporting experience. They'll accept both individual and group applications, but for the latter we ask that the application is made in the name of one lead applicant who will receive the grant on the group's behalf, if awarded.

Judging Criteria:

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

• Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Are the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
• Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
• Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and urge action?
• Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualisation will be considered a plus.

Funding:

• Through funding offered by the Nia Tero Foundation, EJN is providing 10 grants averaging $1,250 to Indigenous journalists looking to investigate and produce stories about environmental degradation in Indigenous communities as well as explore strategies for adaptation and resilience. 

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