CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Reporting Fellowships to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 2017
The IWMF is now accepting applications for two Reporting Fellowships to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to take place in May 2017. As part of the African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative, one group of six journalists will report from Lubumbashi and surrounding areas in southeast Katanga province. Concurrently, a second group of six journalists will work in Goma, North Kivu province.
Stories must be relevant to those locations, and may touch on themes like civic engagement, rural development, international investment, or food security, among others. Stories must focus on in-depth and new narratives and be notably different from those reported on previous Fellowships. We will prioritize applications with creative, thoughtful, and original pitches. View a full list of previously reported stories.
PC: Didem Tali
Please note the feasibility of day trips outside messaged locations (Lubumbashi or Goma) will be determined by IWMF security protocols and assessed on a case-by-case basis.
To date, 77 journalists from 23 countries have pursued a wide range of topics that go beyond the well-established beats of political instability, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crisis in the region.
During the next two years, the IWMF will continue to lead groups of women journalists to the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. By 2019, more than 250 reporters will have together reshaped traditional media narratives around the region.
FELLOWSHIP DATES:
May 4 – 17, 2017
ABOUT THE REPORTING TRIPS TO DRC:
Both groups of reporting Fellows will begin their trip in Nairobi, Kenya, where they will complete orientation and Hostile Environments and First Aid Training (HEFAT) May 4 – 7. Fellows then depart for a week of in-country work May 8 – 17 from Lubumbashi and surrounding areas in southeast Katanga province, or Goma. Fellows will have the opportunity to network with other journalists, report independently and collaboratively with their peers, and gain access to a variety of sources and sites related to their reporting.
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AND EXPENSES:
The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all Fellows within the scope of the Fellowship base location and trip dates. The IWMF also covers Fellowship-related costs within the framework of the reporting trip including travel, lodging, meals, and fixers/interpreters, unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs. Visa costs will also be covered. Fellows living outside the U.S. are responsible for procuring all necessary visas, for which they will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the Fellowship.
ELIGIBILITY:
- Affiliated or freelance women journalists currently working full time in the news media, with three (3) or more years of professional experience. Internships do not count toward professional experience.
- Women journalists of all nationalities are welcome to apply.
- Non-native English speakers must be proficient in English in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program.
- Applicants must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets (a letter from an editor is strongly preferred).
APPLICATION:
The IWMF will accept online applications January 18 – February 21, 2017
Lubumbashi, Katanga province DRC Reporting Trip: apply here
Goma, North Kivu province DRC Reporting Trip: apply here