CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2025 TWO RSF REPORTING FELLOWSHIPS FOR JOURNALISTS FROM COUNTRIES WITH RESTRICTED FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND INFORMATION

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The new call for applications for the annual RSF Reporting Fellowships is now open. Two journalists who have been exposed to threats and endangerment due to their work will be invited to Berlin for six months. The fellowships provide a safe space in which the selected candidates can continue to work on and complete a journalistic project. At the end of the six months, the fellows return to their countries of residence. 

Application deadline: November 30th, 2024, at 11:59 pm (CET)

Planned Fellowship Period in Berlin, Germany: May 1st - October 31st, 2025

 

THE TWO FELLOWSHIPS

There are two RSF Reporting Fellowships:

1) The RSF Research and Recharge Fellowship is aimed at media professionals at risk who want to complete a journalistic project with a focus on climate, climate change, or environmental issues at a national, regional or global scale. 

2) The RSF Digital Freedom & Safety Fellowship is particularly aimed at journalists who have been exposed to digital threats/surveillance in the past, and who plan to complete a journalistic project on a topic of their choice.

During the fellowship, participants get the chance to dedicate themselves to their journalistic project without external pressure. They are also given the opportunity to expand their professional network and take advantage of various professional training opportunities.

In addition, the fellowships offer psychological support and the opportunity to participate in cultural activities in Berlin.

 

INTENDED PERIOD OF STAY

The stay in Berlin is limited to six months. The projected time period of the fellowships will be from May 1st to October 31st, 2025.

 

REPORTING PROJECT

The candidate applies with a self-selected journalistic reporting project, which:

  • Is realizable within the set time frame (in any medium, e.g. visual, sound, or writing).
  • Explores new angles and topics.

The goal is to publish the project’s result and, if possible, to present it at a public event.

 

RSF WILL COVER

  • Visa and travel costs
  • Furnished apartment in Berlin
  • Travel health insurance for the six months spent in Berlin
  • Monthly grant of 1000€
  • Psychological/psychosocial support
  • Workshops (e.g. on digital safety training, stress management)
  • Professional journalistic and/or personal training opportunities
  • Project-related costs (e.g. printing, room rental for podcast, editing of audio-visual material, among others). Please Note: Not all costs are covered, this is dependent on the individual project description. 

 

HOW TO APPLY?

Our Reporting Fellowships are aimed at journalists from countries with restricted freedom of press and information who want to work on a journalistic project.

Application deadline: The application deadline has passed; no further applications can be accepted.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION

  • Several years of relevant work experience as a professional journalist.Please note: Although the work of human rights activists is very valuable, we cannot invite individuals who are not professional journalists, as they do not fall under RSF’s mandate.

  • Personal threat profile due to journalistic work or difficult working conditions caused by external risk factors.

  • Proven knowledge of the English language. The applicants must be able to express themselves well in a professional context.

  • A passport that is valid for at least twelve months at the time of application (or can be independently/renewed).

  • A state of health that permits longer travel and the six-month stay in the host country, as well as sufficient independence to handle everyday affairs on their own in a foreign setting.

  • Ability and willingness to return to the country of origin after the fellowship period. Please note: Applications from journalists who are unable to return to their home country due to the political situation or their own threat situation can unfortunately not be considered in the application process. This is mainly due to the fact that no visa will be issued by the German authorities without the possibility of return.

  • A well-developed project outline for a journalistic project, which can be completed within a period of six months.Please note that this is a residency opportunity in Berlin and not a project grant. Successful candidates will have carried out the majority of the required field reporting and focus on editing, additional research, distribution etc. 

    We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.

 

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Your application must include the following documents:

  • The completed and signed online application form.
  • A scan of your current passport (valid for another 12 months, or independently renewable).
  • Your curriculum vitae in tabular form (CV).
  • A letter of motivation (1-2 pages) in which you explain why you are applying for the research fellowship. Please address what specific factors threaten or complicate your personal work situation. Please write how you plan to use your stay in Berlin and how it will positively impact your future work in your home country.
  • Detailed project outline (1-2 pages). Please address the following questions:
    • What topic would you like to work on and why?
    • How would you like to accomplish your chosen project?
    • What medium (e.g. photography, video, reportage, print, podcast, data journalism) would you like to use to publish the project and why?
    • Why are you concerned with the topic, and what is the relevance of the project at this moment?
    • Who is your intended audience, and why?
    • What is the current status of your project (schedule, milestones)?
    • Do you have a distribution plan or specific commitments from publishers?
    • How would you like to use the six months in Berlin specifically for your project?

 

The deadline is November 25th, 2024, at 11:59 pm (CET).

Apply now: https://forms.projectresources.org/index.php/262719?lang=en

In case you are not able to register or fill the formulary, please contact us through: rsf-fellowships-germany@proton.me No applications will be accepted per mail after the deadline. 

 Please send your application in a secure and encrypted way, note that your email is only end-to-end encrypted if both the sender and recipient addresses are Protonmail addresses. You can set up a free Protonmail account here

 

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