Open to: Kenya-based journalists
Closing Date: Friday, 6th September 2024, 5.00pm Nairobi time
About the Call
This call is part of Africa Uncensored and IWPR’s Voices for Change (V4C) project.
V4C supports media and civil society to provide essential reporting and campaign work in in the area of human rights. To date, the V4C project has provided support to dozens of journalists and civil society organisations in East and West Africa. Participants in V4C have produced important reporting and campaign work on serious human rights abuses related to issues such as gender-based violence (GBV), police brutality, and high-level corruption, amongst many other issues.
More specifically, V4C brings together journalists, media houses and civil society organisations, encouraging collaboration and information sharing on critical work related to serious human rights abuses.
Application Details
As of August 2024, V4C is seeking a new round of participants in Kenya to benefit from grant, mentoring and training support.
Participants will be invited to participate on the basis of a pitch idea for a reporting grant and provision of their personal profile and CV.
The theme for supported grants is serious human rights abuses, with a focus on marginalised communities, women, and youth. All pitches to be considered must fit within these parameters.
Participants will have up to 1 month to produce an investigative report, and will participate in associated training and mentoring opportunities. This will include a dedicated training event, ongoing mentoring, and several participatory roundtables with civil society organisations.
We encourage applicants to pursue stories that involve in-person research techniques, as well as open-source intelligence techniques (OSINT) and network analysis skills wherever possible in their reporting (including initial work using such skills to form the basis of the proposal).
Where relevant, we encourage reporting that demonstrates to readers some of the processes used in investigations, particularly as relates to disinformation and fact-checking, to encourage greater literacy in this area and encourage readers to adopt simple processes to better verify information in their day-to-day lives.
Please note: All applicants who receive financial support to pursue stories will be expected to participate in V4C’s associated training and mentoring programme.
Requirements
Applications are open to invited journalists only. However, participation is competitive, and only 10 journalists will be selected for final inclusion in the project.
Priority will be given to applications that explore relevant topics and demonstrate a clear purpose and aim for impact.
Interested applicants should take note of the following minimum requirements:
- Journalists should have demonstrable experience in producing reporting. Investigative reporting experience is not essential, but participants must demonstrate a clear interest in pursuing investigative reporting in their career;
- Journalists should have a plan for local publication for any reporting grants. In all applications, participants should detail potential partnership agreements (print, online, radio or TV) or plans to seek partnership agreements for wider re-publication or launch of any reports, particularly including social media, are encouraged;
- Journalists should be committed to best practices of international journalism standards and the principles of ethical journalism.
- Journalists must demonstrate willingness to work and adapt their content, in line with guidance from assigned Editors/Mentors; and
- Journalists should demonstrate adequate capacity for content production and grant management.
Funding Amount and Duration
The funding amount for supported grants is up to USD 500.
This is proposed to include personal fees, and any related expenses, such as travel, accommodation and other costs directly related to the delivery of the investigative project output (such as legal advice, safety support or similar). The grant does not cover costs for the purchase of equipment and overheads.
Proposals that seek co-funding within the call’s thematic framework are also eligible to apply. The duration of any investigation supported should be no less than 5 days of research work.
Deliverables
The applicant should deliver one investigative report in any format (print, multimedia, audio, video) to receive the full grant amount.
Target publication dates must be between 1st October and 31st October 2024.
Adequate time should be factored into any report allowing for mentoring and editing inputs from Africa Uncensored’s assigned Editors/Mentors.
Earlier publication timetables are encouraged, with priority given to those who can demonstrate clear capacity to publish reports earlier in the timeframe available.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by Africa Uncensored and IWPR based on the set criteria described in the table below:
| # | Criteria | Max Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Value of the proposed investigation The proposed project explores an issue of the public interest related to the themes identified (20 points) The proposed project is relevant for the proposed focus country/countries of the report (20 points) | 40 |
| 2. | Profile of the journalist and suitability to participate in the programme The journalist has demonstrated experience in producing journalism/media content with relevant examples (15 points) The journalist demonstrates a clear willingness and interest in investigative reporting and human rights(15 points) | 30 |
| 3. | Adequate planning/budgeting of investigative report The proposed investigative and timeline is realistic (15 points) The project budget is realistic and demonstrates adequate value for money (15 points) | 30 |
| 100 |
Application Process
Interested applicants should submit the filled-in application form (including budget), and send their personal CV to the email opportunities@africauncensored.net on or before 6th September, 2024, before close of business.
About Africa Uncensored / IWPR
Africa Uncensored is a Kenya-based media outlet known mostly for its investigative journalism. Its work includes documentary and feature production, fact-checking, podcasting, training, and more. The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent, international non-governmental organisation with head offices in London and Washington, DC. IWPR empowers local voices to drive change globally.