The Embassy of France in Uganda celebrates on a yearly basis the anniversary of COP-21, a groundbreaking international event held in Paris in 2015, that paved the way for multilateralism in the fight against climate change.
Within this frame, the Embassy of France in Uganda, in partnership with InfoNile, is launching a call for proposals for journalists. The Embassy of France to Uganda will offer the opportunity for a selected group of journalists to:
1- Benefit from two trainings, led by InfoNile, in science-based environmental reporting and data journalism ;
2- Be selected for a 1000 euro grant to produce a journalistic piece on climate change, water or an environmental issue in Uganda - only one journalist’s proposal will be selected.
If you are interested in these opportunities, please submit your application by November 11, 2022, at noon to:
PRODUCTION OF THE JOURNALIST PIECE
The journalist is expected to report on a crucial and/or under-reported environmental issue in Uganda and highlight overlooked conservation and sustainability solutions. The journalist is expected to produce a filmed documentary and multimedia story that includes text, data visualizations, photos, and potentially other media formats (such as audio, animation, graphics, and social media content). Creative, innovative, and mixed formats are particularly encouraged. You can find examples of reporting on the InfoNile website: https://infonile.org/en/.
The awardee will receive a total of 1,000 euros to produce and publish the journalistic piece. The pieces will then be published on the InfoNile and French Embassy website and the documentary screened at an event in March 2023. The awardee will meet with the French Ambassador to Uganda to share ideas and understanding of the impact of climate change in Uganda.
TIMELINE
Interested applicants for the trainings and grant should apply before 11th November 2022, at noon. In particular, journalists should submit a one-page pitch for what they want to produce by that date, but will be able to send an updated version until after the first training.
Applicants will be notified by 11th November 2022 that they have been selected to attend the trainings and have been considered for the grant.
The first training will be held on 15th November 2022 as part of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference, followed by a cocktail. The training will be held at 4.30 pm (TBC), at Makerere university, if the sanitary situations allow it. The winner of the grant will be selected and announced a few days after the training.
An additional training session for the group of journalists will be held at a later date in November.
The awardee will then have to produce and publish the pieces by 13 February 2023 with mentorship and editing by InfoNile and the Embassy of France to Uganda. The awardee is expected to submit the final piece’s link to the Embassy of France to Uganda and InfoNile by the same date for cross-publishing.
SELECTION CRITERIA
All applications are welcome, without discrimination of nationality. Women are especially encouraged to apply. Group/organization submissions are accepted.
The jury will consider the strength and innovativeness of the proposal, potential reach and impact of the story, motivation and interest of the journalist to gain skills, among other factors.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should send to
1. A one-page maximum pitch (which can be revised for final submission after the first training) on your journalistic piece: highlighting the problem you want to address, potential solutions, how you may use science, data and creative formats for your story, etc.
2. A resume;
3. A letter from a media house committing to publish the story if selected, crediting the Embassy of France for its support;
4. A paragraph describing the journalist’s motivation for participating in the training and how he/she will use the knowledge gained. This paragraph should also mention previous training courses in which the journalist has participated.
Only complete applications received before the deadline will be considered.