Funding for innovation in video journalism available [Worldwide]

Publishers, broadcasters, agencies, video creators and production companies can apply for funding.

The Google News Initiative (GNI) YouTube Innovation Funding will provide up to US$250,000 to support news organizations in building sustainable, innovative video operations.

Applicants must demonstrate a scrupulous approach to journalistic practices and at least a basic level of video production and operations expertise, and manage a YouTube channel with a minimum of 50,000 subscribers.

Eligible organizations must be based in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greater China, Finland, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand or Vietnam.

The deadline is Oct. 12.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Journalism Institute launches business model challenge [US]

Journalism entrepreneurs can apply for a new grant.

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism has launched the Local News Business Model Challenge.

The challenge will offer a total US$350,000 in grants of up to US$50,000 each for projects that explore new business models for sustainable local news and information organizations. 

Projects should improve on existing models like subscriptions or membership, advertising or events — and explore new ways of sustaining a local news business. 

The deadline to apply is Oct. 15.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Photojournalism contest open [South America]

Photojournalists and amateur photographers can compete in this contest.

The New Holland Award for Photojournalism, sponsored by farm equipment manufacturer New Holland,honors works that portray rural life and agricultural work in South America.

The competition selects photographs to be part of a traveling exhibition in major cities. Photos must have been taken within two years prior to the deadline.

Cash prizes range from BRL5,000 (US$1,211) to BRL15,000 (US$3,636). Photos that do not receive prizes but are selected for exhibition will be acquired for BRL600 (US$145) each.

The deadline is Dec. 15.

For more information on how to apply (in Portuguese and Spanish), click here.

Fellowship seeks media professional [US]

Media experts with a track record of success leading innovative projects in newsrooms can apply for the TruthBuzz fellowship.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), with the support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, is looking for an experienced and driven media professional based in the United States to help verified facts reach the widest possible audience.

The U.S. fellow will join a global team of fellows from Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia and India, each working closely with local news partners to improve the reach and impact of fact-checking and help “inoculate” audiences against false or misleading information. Fellows will experiment with different storytelling methods and platforms to reach more people. 

The selected candidate will be embedded with two partner media organizations, News & Observer and PolitiFact, to spur the production of their fact-checked content in innovative and compelling ways. The position is ideally based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The yearlong fellowship aims to start in late October/early November. The fellow will first attend an orientation Oct. 24 to 26 in Washington, followed by additional training from First Draft News and ICFJ on the principles and techniques of fact-checking, verification and visual storytelling.

The fellowship will provide a monthly honorarium and professional allowance to supplement the fellows' work with partner newsrooms.

The deadline is Oct. 8.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Nieman Foundation offers Journalism fellowship launched [Worldwide]

Journalists who cover the environment, health, technology or another science topic can apply for this new fellowship at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism has created the Harry M. Davis Nieman Fellowship in Science Journalism.

The selected journalist will spend the 2019-2020 academic year, joining two dozen journalists from around the world in the Nieman class of 2020.

The fellowship provides a stipend for the year and the opportunity to take classes at other local universities, including MIT and Tufts.

The deadline is Dec. 1, 2018 for international journalists and Jan. 31, 2019 for U.S. journalists.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Photography competition accepting entries [UK, Ireland]

Photographers ages 18 and older in the United Kingdom and Ireland can enter this contest.

National Geographic Traveller (UK) is accepting entries for its Photography Competition 2019. 

Photos can be submitted in one of five categories: cities, food, nature, people and portfolio. 

The grand winner will participate in a masterclass in landscape techniques and photography filtration in the Tatra Mountains, Slovakia. The portfolio winner will be awarded a photography tour of Chamonix, in the French Alps, for two. And category winners will receive a travel tripod worth GBP175.

The deadline for entries is Dec. 9.

For more information on how to enter, click here.

Vkratce! Film contest accepting entries [Worldwide]

Filmmakers worldwide can enter this competition.

The contest "Vkratce!" will be held as part of a Russian and German short films festival, organized by Russia's NGO Open City with the support of the Goethe Institute. The event will take place from March to April 2019 in Volgograd, Russia.

Short fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental films must be no longer than 30 minutes and must have been created after Jan. 1, 2018.

Films in other languages must include English and Russian subtitles.

Winners will receive diplomas and trophies.

Participation is free. The early deadline is Nov. 25; the regular deadline is Dec. 15. The late deadline is Jan. 5, 2019.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Story Fellowship launched [US]

Journalists interested in solutions journalism can apply for this virtual program.

The Solutions Journalism Network is launching the 2019 Story Fellowship, an opportunity to spotlight high-caliber journalism and engage communities around solutions-focused and results-oriented news stories.

Fellows will analyze, index and curate solutions journalism stories, while acquiring experience in the growing field of the digital humanities. The fellowship runs from January 2019 to January 2020.

Applicants do not need to be journalists but have an avid interest in critically reading it and in developing an expertise in a particular coverage area. Fellows work 10 hours per week and receive US$15 per hour.

The deadline is Oct. 15.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Course on opinion writing available [Latin America, Spain]

Anyone interested in opinion writing can register for this online course in Spanish.

Escuela de Periodismo Portátil will offer the five-week course "Siempre hay que tener un enemigo," ("You always have to have an enemy") beginning Oct. 11. The instructor is Chilean journalist Arelis Uribe.

Participants will explore the different aspects involved in an opinion piece, including ethical and aesthetic questions, subjectivity and objectivity, editorial lines and possible approaches. 

The best columns resulting from the workshop will have the chance to be published in Chilean magazine The Clinic.

Registration is ongoing until spots are filled. The cost is US$100.

For more information on how to register (in Spanish), click here.

EU offers grants for films projects [MENA]

Journalists and filmmakers can submit their projects.

The European Union-funded MedFilm4all project has launched its second call for proposals. The program seeks to support local initiatives in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Libya.

Projects must address problems related to access to films, tackling social and gender issues in rural areas.

Priority will be given to projects aiming to widen the audience for films in rural settings, especially amongst the youth, and improve the image of women through the audiovisuals, also reinforcing capacities of women working in the film industry sector.

The total budget available is EUR984,000 (US$ 1,151,955). The maximum grant per project is EUR82,000 (US$ 95.996).

Applications must be sent in English or French.  

The deadline is Oct. 18.

 For more information on how to apply, click here.

Media School accepting applications on new media storytelling [Worldwide]

Students, bloggers, artists and writers can submit their innovative storytelling to a contest.

The Media School at Bournemouth University is accepting entries for its New Media Writing Prize (NMWP).

NMWP is looking for innovative and interactive storytelling (fiction or nonfiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the web or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, documentary or poem using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction.

The winner of the if:book UK New Media Award will receive GBP1,000 (US$1,314). The student winner will receive a three-month work placement at the e-learning company Unicorn Training in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. There will also be the Gorkana Journalism Award, worth GBP750 (US$985) and the Dot Award, which includes GBP500 (US$657) and development support.

The general deadline is Nov. 30. The deadline for students is Dec. 14.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

CAMP4ASB seek reports on climate change [Central Asia]

Journalists and bloggers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan can enter a competition.

The Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) seeks entries for the contest on covering climate change issues in the countries of Central Asia.

Works must be published or broadcast between April 1 and Oct. 10, 2018.

The contest will select five journalists to attend the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-24), which will be held in December 2018 in Katowice, Poland.

The deadline is Oct. 10.

For more information on how to apply (in Russian), click here. 

AHCJ focuses on Health journalism fellowships open [US]

Journalists with a project on health care can apply for a fellowship.

The Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) is seeking applicants for the AHCJ Reporting Fellowships on Health Care Performance.

The fellowship is designed to enable fellows to work independently over a one-year period while still maintaining their regular employment.

Fellows are expected to produce a package of stories spotlighting a system-related topic, problems and potential improvements. AHCJ fellowship leaders will provide support and guidance through seminars, conference calls and email consultations.

The fellowship provides seminar and workshop trips, a project allowance of up to US$4,000, AHCJ membership and a US$2,500 fellowship award for the successful completion of the project.

The deadline is Oct. 26.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

World Wildlife Fund offers Journalism scholarship on climate change [Spain]

Advanced undergraduate and graduate journalism students enrolled in a Spanish university can apply.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Escuela de Formación de Agencia EFE are launching the WWF-Agencia EFE scholarship on environmental journalism and climate change.

The program seeks to promote specialized journalism in the field of global climate change, training professionals who are able to provide key knowledge about this complex issue.

Applicants must present a flat or animated infographic on the challenges of Spain's ecological transition.

The selected student will attend a practical training from WWF and EFEVerde professionals in Madrid. In addition, he or she will receive EUR7,200 in 12 installments.

The deadline is Oct. 8.

For more information on how to apply (in Spanish) click here.

Google offers business internship program [Brazil]

College students expected to graduate in December 2019 can apply for this internship in São Paulo.

Google Brazil seeks candidates for the Business Internship Program in various departments, including communication and marketing.

The program will take place July to December, including on-the-job training, collaboration with Googlers, challenging and impactful work, and social events.

Candidates must be fluent in English and Portuguese.

The deadline is Oct. 5.

For more information on how to apply, click here.