Opportunity: Solutions Journalism Africa Fellowship
Type: Fellowship
Value: $2,000 honorarium
Who Can Apply: Kenyan and Nigerian citizens
The Solutions Journalism Network’s Africa Initiative is seeking applications from individuals who want to start (or upgrade) a solutions journalism-focused project or art project that is based in, or focused on, Kenya and Nigeria.
As a pioneer Solutions Journalism Africa Fellow, you’ll receive $2,000 in funding to launch or expand your platform — provided it initiates or supports solutions journalism at the newsroom and community levels. Whether you are a photographer, freelance reporter, lecturer, tech or data enthusiast, feel free to send your pitches by July 3, 2021.
What exactly would make my pitch stand out?
You’d be the right fit for this fellowship if your pitch is directly linked to solutions journalism and delivered through a project, platform or reporting that is multimedia, multilingual and ‘minority-focused.’
For example, your project may showcase solutions that strengthen the physical, social and environmental well-being of a community through art, or it may be a platform that teaches others how to do journalism in a way that achieves the above.
Multimedia: Fellows’ projects would take advantage of and explore all media forms — audio, visual, performance, digital, broadcast and print. We welcome pitches for platforms that support journalists to report and investigate using the solutions journalism approach, as well as entrepreneurial creatives wanting to showcase Africa’s solutions.
Multilingual: With over 2,000 languages spoken across the continent, we are keen to hear from Fellows whose platforms prioritize or include solutions-based reporting in African languages.
Minority-focused: The ideal Solutions Journalism Africa Fellow should be advancing projects that bring visibility and coverage to communities that are traditionally excluded or misrepresented, whether on the basis of geography, gender, religion, ethnicity or sexuality. The more diverse, the better!
How does the Solutions Journalism Africa Fellowship work?
You’ll be part of a cohort of 10 fellows (five from Kenya and five from Nigeria) who will:
- Pioneer a community of media innovators, journalists, photographers and artists who create new ideas, coverage or platforms that enhance solutions journalism for Africa, by Africans.
- Receive training in skills relevant to your project proposal — audience/community engagement, impact reporting, revenue generation and sustainability within Africa’s context.
- Gain access to and collaborate with the Africa Initiative cohort of 20 newsrooms and two implementing partners spread across four countries. Outside the continent, you are guaranteed access to SJN staff members and our network of more than 5,000 journalists worldwide.
- Receive a modest honorarium of $2,000.
- The fellowship duration is from August to November 2021.
What is Expected from Me as a Solutions Journalism Africa Fellow?
- Achieving these project goals: (1) producing or facilitating the production of solutions stories; (2) documenting your project with a blog post, case study or video for the greater SJN community; (3) training and engaging with fellow solutions-focused journalists/creatives; and (4) creating communities of solutions journalism practitioners.
- Serving as an ambassador for solutions journalism in your community, country and region, alongside other SJN ambassadors across the world.
- Abiding by SJN’s ethical standards.
- Joining monthly calls with fellows who share similarities in project theme and location.
- Joining bimonthly calls with the entire cohort of 10 Solutions Journalism Africa Fellows, including select guest speakers who will support Fellows’ professional development.
- Joining monthly calls with SJN’s Africa Initiative manager, Ruona Meyer, for feedback and brainstorming on project goal status.
- Participating in a speaking engagement (as a panelist, etc.) within and beyond SJN’s Africa Initiative network.
Eligibility to Apply
A prospective fellow may have any level of experience in any medium, but must be based in Kenya or Nigeria, with a project focused on any of these countries, and:
- Actively working in journalism as (1) a journalist, either employed by a news organization or freelance; (2) an educator teaching journalism; or (3) another type of journalism creative or product innovator.
- Should be registered on SJN’s website.
- Trained in solutions journalism, or committed to taking a training session before the start of the Solutions Journalism Africa Fellowship. (Fill out and submit your application form, but do register for a dedicated Solutions Journalism 101 webinar here on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 1 p.m. West Africa Time and 3 p.m. East Africa Time.
In addition, you have the option of taking our self-guided “Basic Toolkit” training through our Learning Lab.) - Applying as an individual — not a team or an organization. If teams from a platform are applying, one person must serve as the contact/lead person for the fellowship duration.
See Official Fellowship/Program Page for More Details