Scholarships available for media studies in Germany [Worldwide]

Image result for German Academic Exchange ServiceYoung professionals from developing countries can apply for a scholarship to study in Germany.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, in German) supports postgraduate studies and training in a variety of subjects, including media studies.
Institutions that offer media studies include Leipzig University, Bauhaus University Weimar and Cologne University of Applied Sciences.
Candidates must have completed their college degree in the past six years and have at least two years of related professional experience.
The deadlines vary by university.
For more information, clic

The Sun Magazine offers workshops [US]

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Budding writers are invited to attend this workshop.
The Sun Magazine will host a series of writing workshops Oct. 20 to 22. at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.
Topics include journaling, writing in flow, revising yourself and others, and more.
Registration, including meals and accomodations, starts at US$420. There are four scholarships available to cover lodging, meals and tuition for those who are unable to afford the retreat.
The scholarship deadline is Aug. 5.
For more information, click here.

Mongabay Reporting Network calls for pitches [Latin America]

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Experienced journalists can send pitches on Amazon infrastructure issues.
Mongabay Reporting Network is looking for article pitches in Spanish and English about the wide-ranging environmental impacts of hydropower development and ancillary infrastructure development in the Amazon region, with a special emphasis on dam building projects in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil.
Stories focusing on the international financing of Amazon energy development by Chinese (Export-Import Bank of China, etc.), European and U.S. financial institutions and construction companies are also welcome.
Mongabay will negotiate all fees and contracts on a per-story basis. Completed stories will be paid per word, depending on journalist’s experience and complexity of the reporting. Stories will be published on Mongabay.com and its Spanish language site. The Network will also offer a small payment to journalists who proactively get their stories republished in major third-party print media outlets.
Pitches will be received throughout 2017.
For more information, click here.

Film festival on human rights seeks entries [Russia]

Image result for Stalker International Film FestivalRussian documentary filmmakers who focus on human rights can submit their works to this contest.
The Stalker International Film Festival on Human Rights, organized by the Russian Union of Journalists, will take place Dec. 10 to 15 in Moscow. 
Filmmakers may submit feature length and short films and documentaries (up to 52 minutes). Films must have been produced in 2016 or 2017.  
Awards include a prize for best non-feature film. The winning films will be included in the collection of the festival.
The deadline is Sept. 15.
For more information (in Russian), click here.

Free tool helps newsrooms curate, manage effective newsletters

By Em Okrepkie
Some newspaper subscribers head to their mailboxes every morning to grab the paper. Others open their inboxes and scroll through email newsletters to find stories to read.
In the age of the internet, email newsletters are yet another direct way for newsrooms to connect with their audiences. They create a more intimate relationship with subscribers, drive traffic to the main website and boost revenue.
Although beneficial, it can be a challenge for newsrooms to set aside time and resources to craft an effective newsletter. That’s where the free tool Opt In can help.

What is Opt In?

Opt In assists with building a newsletter from scratch or revamping an existing one. Tamara Power-Drutis and Sangeeta Singh-Kurtz spent a year researching newsletter strategies and developing the tool for Crosscut Public Media and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. The new tool, which was released earlier this month, helps newsrooms design their newsletters in an intentional way. The guide provides recommended strategies to build one based on the skills of the people the newsroom.
“It sounds kind of overly simple, but the truth is that most newsrooms aren't being intentional in their design or their curation — especially in small, scrappy newsrooms that would have so much to gain from an effective newsletter," Power-Drutis said. "Creating an effective newsletter requires just as much expertise and insight as laying out the front page of a newspaper, but it rarely gets that kind of attention or investment.”

How does Opt In help curate a newsletter?

To start, Opt In asks users a series of questions about their publication’s target audience, business model and mission. From there, Opt In produces a tailor-made strategy.
“The output for this tool is a very specific playbook based on who your audience is,” Power-Drutis said.
Sometimes the biggest barrier to an effective newsletter is identifying an audience. Once that is complete, the logistics are sorted out. The key to an impactful newsletter strategy is that it meets the distinct needs of its organization. The New York Times boasts 13 million subscriptions to its 50 email newsletterstheSkimm, which has an informal, conversational tone, has more than 3.5 million subscribers. Both are successful publications with drastically different audiences and tones, and their email newsletters reflect that. Opt In can help any newsroom determine the best strategy for identifying a tone and moving forward.  

What are the benefits of creating a targeted email newsletter with Opt In?

Email has been a consistent form of communication since before the social media boom, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Newsrooms can capitalize on the consistent use of email to enhance audience engagement. When the newsletters target the audience in a way that is engaging, the publication benefits.
“You spend a ton of time in your inbox, sifting through generic, annoying, and often automated email," Singh-Kurtz said. "To have something special, customized, and informative — that's worth your while."
Power-Drutis said the newsletter can be a platform in and of itself, or it can drive traffic to the main website. This increase in traffic can translate to ad revenue, which is critical for survival in many newsrooms.
An email newsletter also cuts out the noise that comes with promoting content on social media. It’s a direct line between the newsroom and subscribers. Opt In is designed to strengthen that tie.
Main image CC-licensed by Flickr via Katey

NewsU hosts free webinar on digital tools [Worldwide]

Image result for newsuJournalists interested in new ways to engage their audience can attend this one-hour webinar.
News University, a Poynter Institute e-learning project, offers the "Engage audiences with interactive video with Verse: a digital tools tutorial," which will be broadcast at 2 p.m. EDT on July 14.
Participants will learn how interactive video can increase view times and user engagement; each tool Verse offers and pro tips for using them best; how to build a story in Verse's easy-to-use content management system; and how to serialize and share interactive stories for best viewership.
The training, which is part of a series on digital tools, is free with the support of the Google News LabAmerican Press Institute and Knight Foundation.
Registration is ongoing.
For more information, click here.