2021-09-16
BRUSSELS - Today Journalismfund.eu opens two new grant programmes for environmental journalism: one for cross-border teams of journalists and news outlets to investigate environmental affairs, and one for organisations to develop training and support services.
The two programmes will provide more than 9 million euro in direct support over a course of six years, an unprecedented financial injection for independent investigative journalism in Europe.
Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism
The Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism are open to cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or news outlets to conduct investigations into environmental affairs related to Europe.
While news media and newsrooms still predominantly operate nationally, most power structures and societal and environmental problems transcend national boundaries. This grant programme is therefore aimed at cross-border teams of investigative journalists and newsrooms to investigate and document illegal, unreported and unregulated abuse of nature that involves European affairs in and outside Europe.
Next to investigations of environmental issues that transcend borders, this programme can also support and stimulate comparative investigations into local environmental issues and policies between two or more regions or cities.
The grants can also offer support to preliminary work in the development of new investigative projects.
The grant can cover working time and expenses such as logistics, travel, insurance, access to legal support, translations, access to technology and data sets, etc.
Next to financial support, teams can also apply for an experienced mentor to provide assistance with either the focus of the investigation or the need for competences in a specific skill.
- For this grant programme there are 20 application rounds scheduled over a period of six years.
- The first application deadline is 27 October 2021.
- The total available amount per call to be distributed among all supported investigations will be around €400,000.
Professional Development Grants for Environmental Journalism
This grant facility supports enabling activities and supporting services for environmental investigative journalism as a whole. It seeks to promote collective development and support services for environmental investigative journalism, by providing funding to project ideas from organisations and institutions for training and professional development programmes, i.e. skills-focused professional training or fellowship programmes targeted at enabling investigative journalists to upskill with regards to reporting on environment related issues.
This programme is open to organisations or companies (incorporated legal entities) to apply with a project proposal for collective development and support services for environmental investigative journalism.
- There are 15 application rounds scheduled over a period of six years.
- The first application deadline is 3 November 2021.
- The total available amount per call to be distributed among all supported projects will be around €85,000.
Independence
Grant applications will be assessed by a jury of experts in investigative journalism and environmental affairs, who decides independently about the grants. The jury members are chosen by Journalismfund.eu.
The jury members remain anonymous until they leave the jury. This is to safeguard both the independence of the jury process and the confidentiality of the investigations. After their mandate is finished, the names of the jury members are made public.
Journalismfund.eu vzw is a Brussels-based independent non‐profit organisation founded by citizens in 1998. It is dedicated to advancing independent cross-border investigative journalism in order to promote democracy across Europe and beyond.
Journalismfund.eu is an intermediary and firewall between donors and journalists. This intermediary role is essential to enable donors to finance investigative journalism without affecting the credibility and independence of the journalists. Ultimately, Journalismfund.eu only works in the interest of the general public, by enabling a well-informed debate as a condition for citizens to shape a democratic society.
Earth Investigations Programme
These two new grant facilities are part of Journalismfund.eu’s Earth Investigations Programme, funded by Arcadia.
We welcome all professional journalists, news outlets and organisations involved in investigative environmental journalism in Europe to learn more about our grant facilities and to apply. Don’t to hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or for pre-application advice.
