IREX Small Grant Fund for Africa and Asia

International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) will provide a select number of grants of up to US$10,000 to local private, nongovernmental institutions in Africa and Asia. Proposed project must focus on promoting professionalism and independence in media in one of the following ways:
§ Journalism training, to include basic reporting skills, environmental reporting, business and economics reporting, investigative reporting, and other specialized reporting skills.
§ Media advocacy, to include education on the value of professional media, development of media legislation, community outreach, and training in issues related to free media.
§ Institutional development of media and media-related institutions, to include support for equipment and operational costs
Eligibility
§ Must be a private nongovernmental organization based solely in Africa or Asia
The Small Grant Program will not fund:
§ grants to individuals
§ grants for university study, graduate study or research
§ grants to attend conferences, trainings or workshops
Application procedure
In lieu of a formal application or proposal, IREX requests that interested organizations submit a brief letter of inquiry, of no more than two pages, to help determine whether the proposed project would address IREX’s present interests.
The letter should include:
§ A description of the project proposed
§ The purpose of the project for which funds are being requested
§ Problems and issues the proposed project will address
§ Information about the organization conducting the project
§ Estimated total project cost and a list of major expenses (not to exceed US$10,000)
§ Period of time for which funds are requested
Inquiry letters will be reviewed on a rolling basis and if they meet IREX’s current interests, the grant seeker will be asked to submit a formal proposal.
Inquiry letters can be sent by mail, fax or email.
IREX
Small Grants Fund-Media
2121 K Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
Fax: 202-628-8189
Email: irex@irex.org

SAJA: Fourth Annual Reporting Fellowships

South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has extended date for its fellowships. The fellowships are open to proposals on any in-depth topics covering South Asia or the South Asian Diaspora - upto $20,000 available to support quality reporting. You DON'T have to be South Asian to participate.

SAJA Reporting Fellowships deadline is now Jan. 10, 2009
[ SAJA | FOURTH ANNUAL REPORTING FELLOWSHIPS]

The SAJA Reporting Fellowships program is aimed at promoting a rare element in 24/7-news-cycle journalism -- in-depth and follow-up reporting on major events relating to South Asia or South Asians, long after the breaking-news crews have moved on.

Questions to Laura Griffin, SAJA Administrative Director: sajamember@gmail.com

As part of their mission to encourage in-depth coverage of South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora, SAJA & SAJA Group Inc. are pleased to announce a call for submissions for its fourth Annual SAJA Reporting Fellowships (SRF). Open to freelancers and staff journalists in any medium, the fellowships are meant to encourage in-depth reporting projects by providing grants to cover a portion of reporting expenses.

A total of up to $20,000 may be given out annually, divided among projects or a single project at SAJA's discretion. Each fellowship award is typically between $3,000-$7,000.

These Fellowships, launched in 2005 to ensure follow-up reportage about the 2004 tsunami and its victims, were initially funded by SAJA members, corporate donors and friends of SAJA. For the last three years, SRF received a major financial boost thanks to the support of the Mahadeva Family Foundation, which will make an annual contribution of $20,000.

"The support of Kumar Mahadeva and Simi Ahuja, who have been part of the SAJA community for more than a decade, is critical to SAJA's core mission of improving the coverage of South Asia through the SAJA Reporting Fellowships and similar programs," said Sandeep Junnarkar, the group's president and a professor at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. "This is going to have a major impact on the kind of stories that the Fellows do and how Americans learn about what's going on in South Asia today."

In 2009, the fellowship is open to proposals on any in-depth topics covering South Asia or the South Asian Diaspora.

For requirements of the fellowship click here

QUESTIONS/FEEDBACK/SUGGESTIONS: saja@columbia.edu

Journalists invited to write on Islam and other religions

Deadline for applications: September 1.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in Washington, D.C. invites print and TV journalists from the United States or from majority Muslim countries to propose reporting projects on issues of importance to audiences in both places.

Applicants whose projects are selected will be paired with a reporting partner from another country and will receive funding through ICFJ.

Each of the four pairs of journalists selected will attend the “Faith in Media: Improving Coverage of Islam and Other Religions” conference, to be held December 14 to 16 in Istanbul, Turkey. Projects will be discussed and refined at the conference.

Pairs will have several months to conduct reporting together and will be encouraged to collaborate on the writing of the stories, but they are not required to publish or broadcast identical stories. The conference and the reporting projects are sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Reporting projects that explore issues in Islam and other religions are encouraged, but other topics will also be considered. Ability to work in English is required. All expenses for the conference and the joint reporting projects will be covered, but ICFJ cannot pay participants’ salaries.

For more information and to apply, click here.

The Reuters – IUCN Media Awards

Application deadline June 15, 2008

The Reuters – IUCN Media Awards is a worldwide competition in environmental journalism to recognise excellence in professional reporting on environmental and sustainable development issues; and foster a dialogue between journalists and experts to encourage informative reporting based on sound scientific data.

The Awards are open to journalists in print and online news services throughout the world. Journalists are invited to submit entries related to environment and sustainable development.

The global winner, selected from six regional winners, receives a cash prize of US$5,000. The six regional winners receive a trophy and a travel grant to attend the global awards ceremony in October 2008.

For more information and entry form click
here.

Reuters' workshop on writing international news

The Reuters Foundation is offering a course on international news writing for journalists from the developing world in London from August 11 to 22. Last day to apply: June 27.
The course will focus on the writing of international news, as practiced by Reuters and other global news organizations. Through practice exercises, emphasis will be placed on improving basic reporting skills including accuracy, impartiality, speed, clarity and structure.

Scholarships are available for journalists from the developing world with limited recourses. Partial scholarships are also offered to journalists who can afford to pay for their costs through their organizations. Regular tuition fees are UK£2000 (US$3,905) for travel and accommodations for 10 days.
Those interested should have fluency in English and have worked for print or other media organizations for at least two years. Interested persons must submit a 250-word essay outlining their career, two recent examples of their work in English, and a statement of 250-500 words describing why this workshop would benefit them.
For more information click here

Global Shining Light Award

Nominees for the second Global Shining Light Award are now asked to send in
their projects to the jury, by June 15th.

The prize is at USD 1000 and a free trip and stay at the fifth Global
Investigative Journalism Conference in Lillehammer, Norway in September.

CRITERIA

The journalist, journalism team and/or media outlet provided independent,
investigative reporting, which was broadcast or published between January 1,
2007 and December 31, 2007, and which:

• Originated in and affected a developing or emerging country
• Was of an investigative nature
• Uncovered an issue, a wrong-doing and/or a system of corruption which
gravely
affected the common good, and
• Did so in the face of arrest, imprisonment, violence against them and
their
families, and/or threats and intimidation


NOMINATIONS:

Nominations for this award may be made by independent Investigative
journalism
organizations, associations of journalists, independent media outlets, or a
fellow
investigative journalist.

SUBMISSIONS SHOULD INCLUDE:

• A nomination letter listing the journalist's name (or names of team
members), and
name of his/her media organization with address, telephone number, fax and
email.
• The letter should provide a brief summary of the entry topic, explaining
the
importance of the story, the challenges faced in reporting it, and the
impact it made upon its broadcast or publication.
• One English-translated copy of the published entry or one copy of the
broadcast material with an English-translated copy of the script

Entries must be received no later than June 15th 2008. Entries (articles,
tv/radio) can also be sent on CD-ROM/DVD.

Entries should be sent to: Bibiana Dahle Piene, c/o The Norwegian Journalism
Union,
P.O. Box 8793 Youngstorget, 0028 OSLO, NORWAY.

THE AWARD

The winning entrant will be notified by the first week of August 2008.
Airfare, hotel, per diems and conference registration for the journalist or
one member of the team, is
included in the award.

The presentation of the $1000.00 award and a plaque will be made at the
Saturday
banquet of the Global Investigative Journalism Conference.

For more information click here

USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Program

Application Deadline: June 16, 2008

The USC Annenberg School for Communication and The Getty Foundation have announced the 7th annual USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellowship. Formerly held during the spring, the program for 2008 will be offered in the fall (November 1 to 22), in order to coincide with USC`s academic year and take advantage of the resources available through the University, including its new Master`s Program in arts journalism.

Six to seven arts journalists who bring distinction to the field will be chosen from the applicant pool. This is an international program for mid-career arts editors, critics and reporters from print, radio, television and online who cover the performing and visual arts, architecture, literature, entertainment and pop culture. They can be generalists or specialists. Staff writers, editors and freelancers and self-employed Web journalists alike are welcome to apply.

Based in Los Angeles, the fellowship is a total immersion experience that includes attending as many as 23 performances, art exhibitions and architectural sites. Participants will visit private studios, rehearsal rooms, architectural firms and art schools providing many behind-the-scene opportunities to meet renowned artists, arts administrators and accomplished journalists face-to-face.

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Institute dates: November 1-22, 2008

How to apply: Email an application request to uscgetty@usc.edu. Include your name, media affiliation(s), number of years you have been practicing arts journalism and your contact information. In addition, please note if you have applied in the past and for what year.

Notification of Acceptance: August 8, 2008

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Cost: The program covers most expenses, including: roundtrip travel to and from Los Angeles, hotel, most meals, reading materials, Internet access in your hotel room and transportation within Los Angeles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

Applications invited for AFPF and Daniel Pearl Fellowships 2009

Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships and Daniel Pearl Foundation has just invited applications for 2009 fellows.

Applications would be accepted till August 1, 2008 from print and online journalists for the 2009 Alfred Friendly and Daniel Pearl Fellowships. Successful candidates will report for American newspapers from March-August 2009. Since 1984, AFPF has provided on-the-job training to 258 journalists from 78 developing countries. In the United States Fellow learn practices, standards and values of U.S. journalism which they can adapt, share and apply in their own countries.

Applicants for the fellowships must meet the following minimum criteria of eligibility:

-Current full-time employment as a journalist for the news or editorial departments of independent newspapers, wire services, online publications, or magazines of general public interest in a developing country;

- At least three years of full-time professional experience as a journalist in the print/online media;

- Citizenship of a developing country;

- Early to mid-career status and between 25 and 35 years old;

- A demonstrated personal commitment to a career in journalism in a developing country;

- Ability and desire to share what is learned on the fellowship with other journalists at home;

- Endorsement from the management of the home publication;

- An excellent command of both written and spoken English as all activities are conducted in English.

Click here for more infomation and application form.

Remembering Daniel Pearl on World Press Freedom Day

Remember those who lost their lives in the way for their job to provide truth to readers. Remember Daniel Pearl today, who was assassinated while performing his duty in Pakistan. Pay tributes to him and remind him that we stand by him. We stand by truth.
Hundreds of journalists are killed every year. We curse dictators for targeting journalists, but we pay salute to our colleagues, our friends who are not among us at this time but will remembered forever. You can find statistics and background of journalists killed around the world from 1992 to April 4 2008 here.
Today is May 3, World Press Freedom Day, so remember all the journalists who are attacked. They were the people, who showed reality to the readers.
China is going to have Olympic games, but journalists are not free to cover it. We want freedom unlimited! We will not stay in boundaries. Read about China's curbs on press here.
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3 May worldwide. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Read about history of press freedom day here.

Lorenzo Natali Prize for journalism

Application Deadline: June 30

Journalists who have covered democracy, human rights and/or development can enter the Lorenzo Natali Prize for journalism, in honor of the now deceased former vice-president of the European Commission in charge of cooperation and development policies.

Print, online, radio and TV journalists are invited to submit an application, including one journalistic work or an extract of a series of journalistic works that has been printed or aired between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

In 2007, more than 1529 journalists from 165 countries participated. Fifteen award winners were selected by an independent jury, made up of NGO representatives, leading journalists, and news agency representatives.

In the words of Louis Michel, Commissiorner for development and humanitarian aid, "The Natali Prize was created in 1992 by the European Union so as to promote quality journalism and to remind the memory of the dedication of Lorenzo Natali, former vice-president of the European Commission in charge of cooperation for the development between 1985 and 1989. His work and personal commitment very much contributed to increase the importance of the cooperation policy for the development in the European Communities of that time."

For further details and submission of the application click here.

Jafferson Fellowship for Asian journalists

Application deadline June 4

Jafferson Fellowships program are providing a chance to the Asian journalists to cover 2008 elections.
This special Jefferson Fellowships program will provide journalists from Asia, the Pacific and the U.S. with an opportunity to explore the important issues in this 2008 election, learn about the U.S. political process, observe this historic election and finally, discuss the outcome with U.S. analysts and one another. The Fellows in this program will benefit from the rich opportunity to share among themselves the perspectives of journalists from across the region and the concerns of their governments and people.
After one week of discussion sessions with regional experts and one another at the East-West Center in Honolulu, participants will travel to various areas of the United States to discuss election issues and attitudes with policymakers, business leaders, community activists, and most importantly, voters from a range of important constituencies such as recent immigrants, retirees, blue collar workers, factory owners, religious groups, African American communities, young people and women. In Phoenix, Arizona, John McCain’s home state, Fellows will explore the complexities of health care and immigration. In Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio, cities in America’s “rust-belt,” an area hard hit by globalization, the program will focus on attitudes toward the economy, trade, social values, and America’s future. Fellows will observe the election in Ohio, the state that determined the 2004 contest in favor of George Bush and which is predicted to serve as a bellwether again this year. They will then travel to Washington, DC for a discussion with analysts, policymakers, journalists and others on what the results mean for the United States and its relations with Asia, the Pacific and the rest of the world.
For more information and application click here.

The Bastiat Prize for Journalism 2008

Deadline Date June 30, 2008

The Bastiat Prize, named behind the 18th-century French philosopher and journalist Frederic Bastiat has been announced. This prize was developed to encourage and reward writers whose published works promote the "institutions of a free society": limited government, rule of law brokered by an independent judiciary,
protection of private property, free markets, free speech, and sound
science. The prize (a total of US$10,000) will be awarded to one or
more authors. The Prize is open to all writers, anywhere in the world;
writers need not be associated with any specific publication.

Entries, which should take the form of one or more published articles,
are judged according to their intellectual content, the persuasiveness
of the language, and the type of publication in which they appeared.
Articles must be in English and should not exceed 4,500 words,
published between July 1 2007 and June 30 2008, in recognised news
publications. Finalists will be invited to a ceremony in New York, NY,
United States, in October 2008, where winners will be announced.

The deadline for application is June 30 2008.

Application Information
Click here for more information and the rules of submission.

Entries can be submitted through the online entry form or by email,
fax, or post using the contact information below. Submissions by fax,
post, or email must include a Bastiat Prize Submission Form, available
through the link above.

KUJ protests against manhandling of newsmen

Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) has protested against manhandling of photographers and senior journalists when they tried to cover a protest demonstration of Muhajir Qaumi Movement(Haqeeqi) outside the Karachi Press Club, which was attacked by supporters of Muttahid Qaumi Movement (Altaf).
KUJ in an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon clearly pointed out towards MQM (A) men for snatching cameras from photographers and beating them up.
Veteran journalist Abdul Hameed Chhapra, Ahfaz ul Rahman, Khursheed Tanveer and others called on those who barred newsmen from their duty that journalist would continue giving voice to the voiceless, which was their duty.
They said when MQM(A) had cried in the past of the state atrocities against them, journalists had given them due coverage but when they enjoyed fruits of the government they had become part of the establishment, they were playing in the hands of the agencies and were trying to stop any voice against them.
On Wednesday afternoon, MQM (H) women were protesting for the independence of judiciary, when a group of MQM (A) supporters carrying weapons attacked the rally.
Usually, police men are found outside the KPC most of the times, but they did not came farward to protect the victims.
The incident laid to the murder of one worker of MQM (H).
However, the KUJ leaders said journalists did not belong to any political party, and the KPC was a place where voiceless people, most of the times, came to record their voice and it was their (journalists) duty to give them coverage.
They said they would not be undermined through pressure tactics.

KUJ denounce PEMRA

Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) in a meeting on sunday evening here at the karachi press club denounced Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority saying it was unconstitutional. Khursheed Tanveer, president and khursheed Abbasi, secretary general of the journalist union and other activists addressed the hurriedly called gathering. It was called after Pemra's decision which bans live coverage of the general elections in pakistan to be held tomorrow monday february 18. Earlier elections were announced on jan 8 but the loot and plundering that followed murder of Benazir Bhutto, the most popular leader in the country, laid to the postponement of the elections. Pakistan's media is going through curbs and barring it from the live coverage would be an addition to it . Besides it will pave way for those who plan for rigging.

Shahbaz Sharif

Leader of Pakistan Muslim League and former chief minister of the punjab MIAN SHAHBAZ SHARIF addressed meet the press club at karachi press club on wednesday evening. He said those societies where there is no justice would not sustain for longer. He said current judges have taken oath of loyalty with Pervez Musharraf. They can not provide justice to the people. Talking no controversial dam 'kalabagh' he said it could be beneficial but if it was constructed without consensus of the four provinces it would shack up roots of this country.

Love

One of my friends sent me this photo a few days back. Pictures speak sometimes so does this one. It shows two things at the same time. One is love and the other is jealousy. Even at this age all natural expressions can be seen. Just wanted to share it with you too.

Purpose of sharing this picture with you is just to come out of the hibernation, I went into last month after murder of Benazir Bhutto.

After assassination of the most popular leader of Pakistan, I had gone nearly into coma, as no hope was left in the future.

When I received this photo, this reminded me that there is still hope, as children are future of the country, as they have true expressions. But, the terrorists in my country do not want children live happy.