Internship program available [US]

Entry-level researchers and/or fact-checkers with a deep interest in investigative journalism can apply for this remote internship.

Type Investigations is looking for a winter/spring 2021 intern, starting Jan. 5 to July 2, 2021.

Interns are trained in fact-checking and research to support investigations on policing, labor, climate, immigration and more. They are paid US$18/hour for 35 hours/week in addition to a technology stipend.

Applicants must have had at least one prior internship or job in a related field. 

The deadline is Oct. 5.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Dow Jones offers internship program [US]

Students can apply for paid summer internships in data journalism, digital media, business reporting and multiplatform editing.

The Dow Jones News Fund (DJNF) provides internships to juniors, seniors and graduate students for 10 to 12 weeks at media outlets nationwide.

Interns will attend pre-internship seminars and receive weekly salaries. Travel expenses during training will be covered. Scholarships of US$1,500 will be available to students returning to college.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 9.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

The TPOTY competition seeks photo entries [Worldwide]

Professional and amateur photographers can compete for the Travel Photography of the Year (TPOTY) Awards.

The TPOTY competition was founded by professional photographers Chris and Karen Coe. Sponsors include Fujifilm, Genesis Imaging, Páramo, Photo Iconic, Plastic Sandwich and Royal Photographic Society and others.

The contest features three portfolio categories, three "One Shot" single image categories, a "Smart Shot" category for images taken on a mobile phone or tablet, a special award for travel documentaries, Young TPOTY, a video category and more.The winners will receive cash prizes and sponsors' gifts.

Entry fees vary from GBP8 (US$10) to GBP30 (US$40). The entry for Young TPOTY is free. Enter in September to receive a 10% discount.

The deadline is Nov. 2. 

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize accepting entries [Worldwide]

Writers ages 35 and younger can compete for a prize.

The Bodley Head/Financial Times Essay Prize seeks to discover the world's best young talent in longform essay writing.

Entries must be in English and have no more than 3,500 words. Any nonfiction topic will be accepted, but the work must not have been previously published in any language.

The winner will receive GBP1,000 (US$1,315), an e-publication with Bodley Head and a mentoring session with the FT/Bodley Head. Two runners-up will each receive GBP300 (US$394) and an e-publication.

The deadline is Sept. 24.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Grants available for reporting projects on fight against cancer [Russia]

Journalists and documentary filmmakers covering the fight against cancer can enter this competition.

Multimedia project "A Human Life" and web portal "Takie dela" are accepting applications for a grant program named after Dr. Andrey Pavlenko, a Russian oncologic surgeon.

The grants are awarded every month for reporting projects on the fight against cancer. The amount of funding varies depending on the amount of monthly donations received.

The winners will be expected to complete their projects in three months.

The next deadline is Sept. 20.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Future Climate for Africa seeks applicants [Africa]

African journalists proficient in English can apply to attend this online training.

Future Climate for Africa is organizing a training on climate change reporting Aug. 5, 7 and 9.

The organizer seeks to increase journalists' understanding of climate change and their capacity to report on climate change issues in Africa. 

The training will include a practical exercise and guidance to help participants identify and develop a climate-related news story that they will pitch to their editor.

The deadline is Sept. 21.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com 

Arab Media & Society seeks papers on media, digital transformation [MENA]

Journalists, academics and students from the Arab world can submit their papers.

Arab Media & Society, the biannual journal of the Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism at the American University in Cairo, is seeking submissions for its next issue on media and digital transformation.

Possible topics include digital media and content creation, the future of digital platforms, media and e-learning, media ethics and the digital environment, fact checking and data. 

Although shorter pieces are encouraged, submissions may have up to 10,000 words and must conform to The Chicago Manual of Style.

The deadline for peer-review consideration is Nov. 20. All other submissions, including books and conference reviews, shorter research papers and columns, should be received by Dec 5.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute accepting applications [US]

U.S. college students are invited to enter this competition.

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism is accepting applications to the RJI Student Innovation Competition challenge.

Contestants must submit an idea to help newsrooms reconnect with audiences during a season of isolation. 

Finalists will have three months to polish their idea based on the RJI feedback before presenting virtually on Feb. 26, 2021. 

The first, second and third place winners will receive US$10,000, US$2,500 and US$1,000.

The deadline is Oct. 31.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Faculdade Casper Líber offers online course on fact-checking techniques [Brazil]

Students, journalists and other communicators interested in fact-checking can participate in this course.

Faculdade Casper Líber offers a course on fact-checking on Oct. 17 and 24.

Topics include the basics of fact-checking; fake news, post-truth and disinformation; debunking and fact-checking; reporting and in current journalism; what is possible to check; the fact-checking step by step; search tools, spreadsheets and access to information law; what is between the true and the false; how to pack the content; selection of checkable phrases; search for references; veracity classification; and formatting the content.The instructor is journalist Taís Seibt, professor at Unisinos and co-founder of the Filtro, a fact-checking agency

Registration is open, but spots are limited. The cost is BRL320; there are discounts for current students, alumni, faculty and staff.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Registration ongoing for free webinar on political advertising on Facebook [Worldwide]

Journalists covering elections and campaign spending are invited to attend this webinar.

Poynter is offering the webinar "How to report on 2020 political advertising on Facebook" at 2 p.m. EDT Sept. 16.

Participants will learn about Ad Observatory, a digital tool created by cybersecurity engineers at New York University that allows journalists to view political spending on Facebook aggregated for their local areas and campaigns.

The instructors are Nancy Watzman, director of Lynx LLC, and Angie Holan, editor-in-chief of PolitiFact.

Registration is free and ongoing.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Nile media awards seeks nominations [Africa]

The Nile Basin Initiative, with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), is accepting submissions to the Nile Media Awards 2021.

Applicants can submit original pieces that promote cooperation in transboundary waters in the Nile Basin, and topics can include climate change, socio-economic benefits, and regional peace.

Categories include print, digital, radio, television and photography, Works must have been published between July 2017 and March 31, 2020.

Organizers will select the best female entry and best collaborative story. The award ceremony will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The deadline is Sept. 30.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

The Merian Centre offers fellowship [MENA]

Media researchers can apply for a four-month fellowship in Tunisia.

The Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM) is accepting applications for its first interdisciplinary fellow group (IFG) "aesthetics & cultural practice", that will take place April to July 2021 at the University of Tunis.

MECAM offers the freedom to pursue individual projects on a topic of personal choice, such as an academic article, an essay, a policy paper, a book or a report.

The center also provides its fellows with office workspaces equipped with digital infrastructure and assistance in finding accommodation.

The deadline is Sept. 30.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com 

Mentorship program available for women photographers [Worldwide]

Women and non-binary documentary photographers of any nationality can apply for this remote program.

Women Photograph is launching its 2021 Mentorship Program, which will pair industry leaders with 24 budding photojournalists over the course of a year. 

Mentors will include editors from The New York Times, The Guardian, the Associated Press, Apple and others. Participants must dedicate three to five hours a week to the program.

Candidates must have less than five years of professional experience.

The deadline is Oct. 1.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

KrASIA offers internship program [China]

Aspiring graphics journalists can apply for this position in Beijing.

KrASIA is seeking an intern to help create infographic stories on China’s business and tech scene.

The ideal candidate should have a background in data journalism or visual design, with basic knowledge of the business and tech industry in China. They must be proficient in both English and Chinese, and be able to commit working three days a week in its Beijing office. Experience with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to execute graphics is a must.

Apply now.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Mentorship program for women photographers available [Worldwide]

Women and non-binary documentary photographers of any nationality can apply for this remote program.

Women Photograph is launching its 2021 Mentorship Program, which will pair industry leaders with 24 budding photojournalists over the course of a year. 

Mentors will include editors from The New York Times, The Guardian, the Associated Press, Apple and others. Participants must dedicate three to five hours a week to the program.

Candidates must have less than five years of professional experience.

The deadline is Oct. 1.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Journalism Fellowship available [US]

Emerging writers ages 18 to 24 with a relationship to communities impacted by prison and policing issues can apply for this fellowship.

Just Media has launched the Uprising Fellowship, which focuses on how the uprising is shifting local politics.

The fellowship seeks stories on the following question: "How is the current uprising shifting the politics of policing and justice reform in your area?"

Fellows will receive a US$250 stipend and editorial support to publish a piece at a local or national publication. The stipend will be in addition to any payment offered by the host publication. 

Apply now. 

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Vacancy :BBC Swahili seeks journalists [Africa]

Experienced journalists can apply for several positions.

The BBC Swahili Service is hiring journalists in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.

Positions include senior journalist, digital journalist, multimedia journalist in Tanzania, and digital journalist, multimedia journalist and senior journalist in Kenya.

For most positions, candidates must be fluent in English and Kiswahili.

The deadline is Sept. 8.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

Deadline approaching for registration for Webinar on elections reporting [US]

Journalists covering the U.S. elections are invited to attend this free webinar.

The National Press Club's Journalism Institute is organizing the "Election 2020: 'What if?' workshop" at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Sept. 3.

Participants will join breakout groups on one of four topics: voter suppression, polling access and Election Day pandemonium; mail-in ballots and US Postal Service; foreign interference; and contested election results.

After the breakout discussions, they will reconvene to learn about story ideas and reporting tips generated by each group.

Registration is ongoing, but spots are limited.

For more information, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com  

“Fake News”: Understanding the Scourge in Nigeria

By Raji Rasaki

There have been studies conducted on what exactly constitutes “fake news” and its variants. Researchers have looked into the Nigerian examples of ‘fake news’, its mode of transmission, the reasons it spreads in Nigeria, its impact on our democracy as well as possible structural solutions to the menace. 

Yet, there is a need for a holistic view of the issues around the scourge within the Nigerian context. This article adopts the method of contextual analysis of a selected studies, situating the studies within the Nigerian milieu, assessing the positions of the authors, experts, readers (including offline and online audience) and other texts to understand the scourge. 

The study finds out that ‘fake news’ thrives in Nigeria in its different variants. These variants include misinformation, disinformation and mal-information. It finds out that the nation’s culture of ‘closed’ (as opposed to open) governance, which thrives on official secrecy and dearth of timely official information is a recipe for the scourge to spread. It also finds out that increased Nigeria’s population on social media and other digital space is an escape route from muffled voices in the mainstream; an avenue to create, share and distribute contents of all sorts, many of which populate the misinformation ecosystem in Nigeria.  

This study’s contribution to knowledge is underscored in how it justaposes selected past research on ‘fake news’ in Nigeria and analyses contextual factors and  impacts of fake news proliferation. The study therefore recommends among other deliverables, aggressive engagements with online and social media users whose increased media literacy will help reduce the spread of ‘fake news’ in Nigeria.    

To read more, click Stellanwofia.blogspot.com