Journalists and journalism students will be able to increase their professional capacity
on topics related to poverty, migration and minorities

The project “Reporting Effectively on Development, Minorities & Migration” aims to raise EU public awareness of the interconnections between the EU and developing countries on issues concerning poverty, migration and minority exclusion. In addition, the specific objective is to improve media coverage of development by strengthening the capacity of journalists and journalism students through non-formal education opportunities to report sensitively on poverty, migration and minority issues.

The activities of the project are:
• Five 8-week online courses (in English) on development, minorities and migration for 200 journalists and journalism students (50 from Bulgaria)
Participants will be expected to devote 2-3 hours every week towards reading, doing their own research, completing the quizzes and tests, and doing the assignments.
• 1-month internships for journalism students graduates of online training at national media outlets
Gender Project for Bulgaria Foundation (GPF) will facilitate 20 journalism students from Bulgaria, graduates of the online course, to go on one-month internships at national media. Selection will primarily be based on the level and quality of applicants’ participation in the online training course. In their applications, they will be asked how they plan to use their internships, and to demonstrate competence and interest in development journalism. Writing samples of published or unpublished media pieces will be required to test their research and writing skill.
• 7-day face-to-face training and site visits for 80 journalists and journalism students to urgent frontline EU arrival points and to Africa
Participants in the online training who have demonstrated ability, potential and commitment will be offered the possibility to attend 7 day trips encompassing face-to-face training events (2 days) and study visits to frontline EU arrival points in Italy and Greece (and possibly Spain) and to countries of origin in Africa (5 days). Participants will be selected with a view to providing a good geographic spread across the target countries as well as gender balance. The visits will help the participants break down stereotypes and understand the realities confronting migrants arriving at the EU’s external borders, and communities of origin and why their members are migrating. Furthermore, given that a key obstacle for media outlets in the target countries is lack of resources for in-depth field reporting, the study visits will provide participants with opportunities to interview firsthand and identify personal stories. This will strengthen the development of positive narratives concerning development and migration.
• 20 stipends to most active online trainees for investigative reporting projects
The project will offer stipends or bursaries of up to €1,600 to 20 successful participants to conduct in-depth reporting on issues relating to development, migration and minorities. Smaller amounts will be granted to those who choose to apply for funds to stay on in the same locations as the study visits to conduct further in-depth reporting, whereas the upper amount will allow those who are successful to plan their own independent trips. The grants contribute towards travel costs, accommodation, insurance, per diems, etc. It will not be used as fees or salaries.

Within the framework of the project will be organized national high-profile round tables about on development journalism for senior media professionals. The university journalism professors and the senior editors most active and engaged in the national roundtables will be invited to attend international high-profile roundtables on development journalism. Two annual prizes per target country will be awarded to journalists who have published outstanding pieces of development journalism. Photo-stories will also be eligible.

Partners of the project: Minority Rights Group Europe (MRGE) – applicant, based in Budapest, Hungary; Minority Rights Group International (MRGI), UK; Gender Project for Bulgaria Foundation (GPF), Bulgaria; Cracow Economic University, Poland; The Human Rights League, Slovakia

Deadline for participants: 31 August, 2018.

For additional information, please contact Stanimira Hadjimitova, genderproekt@gmail.com; office@gender-bg.org, +359 888 242 592.