Deadline: March 25, 2024
Program Details
We are awarding 10 fellowships to journalists from Central and South-Eastern Europe who have an idea for a story that needs dedicated on-the-ground reporting, in-depth research, generous funding and sustained editorial attention to do it justice.
Applications are solicited under this year’s theme, Voices. Successful applicants will be selected by an independent committee to take part in our annual programme for professional development, culminating in the production of a compelling long-form story to be published by BIRN, its media partners and/or the media outlets from the region.
Our output takes the form of features, analysis and investigations, presented in depth for a global audience. We emphasise strong storytelling and rigorous, on-the-ground reporting – qualities traditionally associated with the best magazine journalism.
Benefits
- a bursary of €3,000
- the chance to improve your reporting skills by working in close collaboration with world-class editors
- ongoing mentoring and support from BIRN’s leading regional journalistic network, present in 14 countries of the Central and SEE region
- the opportunity to participate in an introductory seminar in Vienna, May 20th – 24th, focused on reporting and storytelling techniques,
- the chance to win additional awards worth between 1.000 and 3.000 euros for the best three stories
- worldwide publication of reports in local languages and English through our network of media partners
- membership of the Fellowship alumni network, designed to support networking between fellows who have participated in the programme since 2007
Eligibility
- Journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia with demonstrable professional experience are eligible to apply.
- Applicants should have citizenship or permanent residence of one of the countries covered by the programme.
- We provide editorial support in English, so applicants should be proficient in English (speaking, reading and comprehension), although they may produce their stories in local languages.
- Fellows must be able to dedicate adequate time to the Fellowship, in terms of research, reporting trips, attending seminars, writing and revising drafts and participating in editorial sessions.
Apply
- This year’s call is open until March 25th. Please send us your proposal using the official application form
- To maximize your chances of a successful application read more about the programme including the tips from our editors
