Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) Without Borders Media Fellowship Application 2022/2023
The Without Borders Media Fellowship aims to encourage both cross-border and hyper-local reporting in South Asia and leverage powerful storytelling to highlight pressing issues concerning public health and humanitarian aid.
Stories from the ground will build evidence for medical and humanitarian advocacy and encourage visibility for public health issues that MSF and other similar organizations are working on.
Fellows will engage closely with mentors, who are experts in journalism and public health, as well as with staff from within the MSF movement, who will provide strategic guidance to the Fellowship programme, advise Fellows, and help identify themes and geographies with the need of greater focus.
Benefits
- The journey of a Media Fellow with MSF will include mentorship, subject matter sensitization, training, access to MSF projects and experts, and reporting costs for field visit. Awards are based on reasonable, detailed budgets. Most awards will range between INR 50,000- INR 2,00,000, but maybe more or less depending on circumstances.
- A Fellowship award will cover a duration of three months, with special projects, depending on the application and reporting proposal, given further consideration. Fellows will be expected to publish their work within three months of the Award.
Eligibility
MSF welcomes applications from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Maldives:
- Professional reporters, photographers, radio/audio journalists, television/video journalists, working in print, television or online media (including YouTube), as well as freelancers, based in a South Asian country. They are committed to supporting journalists from diverse backgrounds and of all nationalities.
- Media professionals with demonstrated professional experience in writing on gender, public health, development, public policy and/or related issues
- Journalists working for English and regional language publications are eligible to apply.
Selection Criteria
- Reporting proposals must be grounded in a key public health or humanitarian aid issue in one South Asian country.
- Reporting proposals must align with MSF’s work, social mission and values.
- Current relevance of the story pitch.
- Applicants must have at least 3 years of professional experience.
- Former Fellows are eligible to apply, although first time applicants will be prioritized.
- Potential to bring new insight upon an issue, innovative storytelling.
How To Apply
As selection for the Without Borders Media Fellowship is competitive, they ask applicants to provide:
- A short statement of purpose: How the Fellowship fits in your career path and why you are best positioned to be a Without Borders Media Fellow with MSF (max 500 words).
- Reporting proposal: Description of the story you seek to pursue during your Fellowship. MSF expects a concrete story pitch. Pre-reporting by the applicant on the subject will be of advantage to the application. A compelling, well-researched pitch (with references to add context) with a reporting plan will help stand out among dozens of applicants.
- Travel and Dissemination Plan: Applicants must share a reporting plan that lists out the preferred start and end dates of the fellowship, field travel plan, the location, resources needed, stakeholders involved, number of stories, etc., as well as a dissemination plan.
- Three examples (links) of your most relevant stories (to the pitch) published in the past three years.
- A letter of commitment or interest from a media organization(s) that would publish your story will be of advantage to the applicant.
- Names and contacts of two professional references.
- CV or Resume.
For more information, visit Without Borders Media Fellowship
Application Deadline: September 15, 2022
