Justice writing fellowship available [US]

Journalists interested in mass incarceration issues can apply for this fellowship.

PEN America will select six writers to focus on the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities and the wider impact of the criminal justice system.

Starting in September, fellows will work on their projects and meet with mentors. They will also participate in two cohort meetings: the first in October 2018 and the second in February 2019. The projects must be completed by May 2019.

Fellows will receive US$10,000 and may request up to US$5,000 for travel and research, in addition to mentorship.

The deadline is July 1.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

IWMF offers reporting fellowships for women journalists [Worldwide]

Women journalists with at least three years of experience can apply for a reporting fellowship.

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is organizing Adelante (Moving Forward), a five-year reporting initiative that aims to amplify the voices of women journalists in Latin America and strengthen their professional development, impact and safety.

The next group of fellows will travel Sept. 20 to Oct. 5. All fellows will begin their trip in Mexico City, where they will complete a comprehensive security training and an orientation. One group of journalists will report from Guadalajara, Jalisco, while the other group will travel to Guatemala and report from Guatemala City, Flores and Puerto Barrios.

The IWMF pays for fellowship-related expenses including travel, lodging, meals and fixers/interpreters unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs.

The deadline is July 9.

For more information on how to apply, click here

 for the Mexico trip and here for the Guatemala trip.

Registration for Nonfiction book workshop ongoing [Latin America]

Latin American journalists working on a nonfiction book can apply to attend this workshop.

The Gabriel García Márquez Foundation for New Journalism, the Tomás Eloy Martínez Foundation the Oaxaca International Book Fair and PROA Foundation are organizing a nonfiction book workshop July 31 to Aug. 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Eight journalists from Latin America will have the opportunity to discuss their long-term projects and identify the weaknesses and strengths of their written work. The program will be led by Argentine journalist and writer Martin Caparrós.

The registration fee is US$500 for selected participants. PROA Foundation will offer accommodation, partial ticket reimbursement and international medical insurance for participants outside Buenos Aires, as well as meals for all participants.

The deadline is July 9.

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

Media institute accepting applications for Master’s program [Jordan]

Journalists and graduates who are interested in studying new media can apply for a scholarship in Amman.

The Jordan Media Institute (JMI), in cooperation with the University of Jordan, is accepting candidates to the master’s program in journalism and new media. 

JMI will offer 40 full and partial scholarships in two tracks: the comprehensive exam, which focuses on graduating professional journalists in the field of digital media; and the thesis track, which focuses on academic research.

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and pass all the admission exams.

The deadline is July 6.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Photo contest accepting entries [Worldwide]

Professional photographers are invited to submit their best photographs illustrating journalists while doing their job.

UNESCO is organizing a contest to select photographs that will help raise awareness on the working conditions of journalists.

Images may depict journalists working on investigations into cases of corruption or political wrongdoing; attending trials, press conferences, demonstrations or major public events; gender dynamics in journalism; threats posed by internet harassment; journalists working in digital media;the everyday life of a journalist; and scenes from the newsroom or TV/radio studio.

UNESCO will establish a contract with the photographers, purchasing the selected photographs.

The deadline is July 15.

For more information on how to enter, click here.

Abe offers investigative reporting fellowships [Japan, US]

Journalists from the United States and Japan can apply for a fellowship.

The Abe Fellowship for Journalists, sponsored by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), is designed to encourage in-depth coverage of topics of pressing concern to the United States and Japan through individual short-term policy-related projects.

Applicants can submit proposals on one of four themes: threats to personal, societal and international security; growth and sustainable development; social, scientific and cultural trends and transformations; and governance, empowerment and participation.

The program provides support for six weeks in Japan or the United States. The maximum stipend is US$23,500, which includes one round-trip air ticket.

The application deadline is Sept. 15.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage receives high rate of endorsement

Enthusiasm is running high that the Nigerian media is committed to the professional and ethical coverage of the 2019 elections.

This is as a result of the growing number of media outfits endorsing the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised edition 2018), which underlines a common chord in the industry for self regulation and checking of excesses.

The Code will be launched in Abuja-Nigeria on Friday June 22, 2018 as part of the activities of the World Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI).  A statement by Lanre Arogundade, Director of International Press Centre (IPC) said about eighty (80) media outfits have so far endorsed the Code including professional groups and associations, the broadcast media, newspapers, online news mediums and support groups. The Code, a revised edition of the 2014/2015 Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage was recently validated by media stakeholders.

Arogundade said the Code have been okayed by the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Radio Television And Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).

He said it was encouraging that prominent media establishments that have so far endorsed include, Channels Television, AIT, RAYPOWER Radio, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the following newspapers: Vanguard, ThisDay, Daily Trust, The Guardian, The Sun, Leadership, The Nation,  Premium Times, The Cable, Eagle News, Business Eye magazine and The News Magazine.

Arogundade also said it was gratifying that fifty-five members of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) who publish Online have endorsed the Code as well as the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) and the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).

Media support groups promoting media development, independence and professionalism that have endorsed the Code have also been impressive. They include: the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalists (PTCIJ), Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalists (WSCIJ), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), Network for Media Excellence, Journalism Clinic, Media Career Development Centre (MCDC), Diamond Media Awards for Excellence (DAME) the Journalism Clinic and Media Law Centre.

Arogundade expressed hope that the number of organisations endorsing the Code would increase before the public launch and presentation next week.

“We are particularly elated at the kind of responses we are getting from many media organisations that have either endorsed or expressed interest in endorsing the Code”, he said.

Essentially the Code provides guidelines for the ethical conduct of journalists and their respective organisations in the coverage of elections. This obligation according to the Code “entails the performance of oversight, public education, open forum and conflict management roles by the media during elections”.

The Code also says in its preamble that the “effective performance of these important roles requires the observance of the highest standards of professionalism, maximum compliance with regulatory frameworks and deference to the public good and interest”.

It therefore says that “it is desirable to have a set of guidelines that regulates the professional and ethical conduct of the media and journalists during elections” and enjoins practitioners that “compliance with the guidelines will contribute to the conduct of credible elections and corresponding social order”

Among others, the Code provides for a section to regulate Hate Speech and other forms of incitement which according to it, “could lead to violence and threaten the democratic fabric of a society”. “The social obligations of the media during elections therefore include the prevention of hate speech”, it says.

Arogundade stated that the revision, publication and dissemination of the Code is one of the activities being undertaken by IPC under Component 4b: Support to the media of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project, which seeks to build a professional media as catalysts of democratic accountability, credible elections and good governance. 20,000 copies of the updated code shall be produced and disseminated to journalists for use ahead of the 2019 general elections.

 'SANMI FALOBI

Programme Manager

International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, Nigeria
IPC is Nigeria's foremost media capacity development organization.
www.ipcng.org  l  www.twitter.com/IPCng  l www.facebook.com/ipc.nigeria  l  www.youtube.com/ipcng  l  Google+ : Ipc Ng

O Quadro organizes film festival [Brazil]

Students can submit their films to this festival.

Metrô - Festival do Cinema Universitário, organized by film production company O Quadro, will take place in October in Curitiba.

The event will feature workshops, debates, script-writing lab, special exhibitions and a competitive show.

Films must be up to 30 minutes long and have been produced after January 2016. In addition to a trophy, winners may receive prizes from the event's partners and supporters.

The deadline is July 6.

For more information on how to enter, click here.

Photo Exhibition seeks submissions [Africa]

Journalists and photographers can submit images to this exhibition. 

The Africa-China Reporting Project at Wits Journalism is organizing the Africa-China Photo Exhibition, which will gather images that illustrate how the lives of the people of Africa are changing amid Africa-China interactions. 

The author of the best image will receive a US$1,000 grant to write an accompanying story of the image as well as a fully paid trip to the Project’s Africa-China Journalists Forum in Johannesburg on Nov. 1.

The second place will also be awarded a US$1,000 grant to write the accompanying story of the image.

The deadline is Aug. 3.

For more information on how to apply, click here.

UNFCCC launches Youth video competition on climate change [Worldwide]

Aspiring videomakers ages 18 to 30 can enter this contest.The Global Youth Video Competition on Climate Change, organized by the UNFCCC secretariat and the UNDP-GEF Small Grants Program, seeks videos of up to 3 minutes showcasing your activities to fight climate change.

The competition has two categories: responsible production and consumption, and green and climate-friendly jobs. Videos must be in English or have English subtitles.

Two winners will receive an all-expenses trip to the 24th session of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 24) December in Katowice, Poland, where they will work as youth reporters assisting the UN Climate Change team with videos, articles and social media posts.

The deadline is Aug. 31.

For more information on how to apply, click here.