Press release: Announcing BudgIT Civic-Tech Media Fellowship
Public finance-focused civic-tech organization BudgIT is announcing a six-month, highly competitive Civic-Tech Media Fellowship designed to support six (6) journalists interested in covering human-angle stories. The fellowship will include training on Data Journalism, Investigative reporting, Desk research and provide up-to-date knowledge on the intersection between journalism, civil society and new media.
Stanley Achonu, Senior Manager at BudgIT said the scheme is in keeping with the changing shape of journalism across the globe: “writers are including data and visualizations to enhance stories, delivering meaningful impact and boosting readership figures. BudgIT understands the challenges faced by journalists and news organizations in Nigeria and aims to contribute its quota to revolutionizing journalism in Nigeria using cutting-edge technology and resources.”
Open to print, electronic and online media practitioners, successful candidates are expected to pursue stories and themes centered on: Budget access, Project tracking, the Use of Extractive Revenues, Social justice, Anti-corruption, Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the Cost of Corruption. BudgIT is also placing its award-winning research, data analysis and creative design teams at all participants’ disposal, for the six-month duration of the scheme.
Achonu also disclosed that upon acceptance,Fellows will be required to publish three stories monthly, with one focused on any of designated themes, and the other two on issues related to the candidate’s interests.
The BudgIT Civic-Tech Media Fellows are subsequently expected to form a pool of talented media professionals equipped to creatively boost the standard of journalism at their workplaces, and by extension, the society, with Oluseun Onigbinde, Co-founder BudgIT noting that the Fellowship is “a new beginning that BudgIT is very excited about. The media plays an important role in the work we do, amplifying our campaigns and helping us reach our intended audience. This fellowship is our way of building their capacity to do more, and solidifying our partnership with journalists and the media houses they work with.”
Applicants should submit a 400-word essay on “Development Reporting: What Matters most to me,” as well as a 400-word pitch on their intended story idea/ideas aligned with BudgIT’s areas of operation and/or the theme of the fellowship to [email protected]. Shortlisted journalists will be contacted by April 10, 2017. The BudgIT Civic-Media Tech Fellowship begins in May 2017, and ends November 2017; female candidates are strongly urged to apply.
Interested journalists with further enquiries can contact Abayomi Akinbo at [email protected] or Stanley Achonu at [email protected]
Call for Applications
Application Starts: March 07, 2017
Application Deadline: March 24, 2017
Announcement of Winners: April 10, 2017
Fellowship Program Begins: May – October 2017
The BudgIT Civic-Tech Media Fellowship is a six-month, highly competitive fellowship designed to support journalists solely interested in writing human-angle stories. All fellows receive training, mentoring and a minimal stipend to enable them pursue socio-economic development via journalism, and also develop innovative tools that expand engagement at grassroots level. Applicants must be attached to a mainstream or online media organization with significant national and online reach, possessing knowledge of, and an awareness of social media and tech tools that aid reportage.
We seek applications from candidates interested in pursuing stories and themes that cover budget access, project tracking, use of extractive revenues, social justice, anti-corruption, open governments and transparency efforts. Fellows will be engaged in data journalism training sessions with experienced journalists and in-house BudgIT developers. Under their guidance, each fellow will be expected to deliver a data-driven, civic tech project that illustrates and complements their story. BudgIT also expects Fellows to deliver an average of at least three stories per month, widely circulated on their platforms, with sufficient brand visibility for BudgIT.
The BudgIT Civic-Tech Media Fellowship allows talented individuals to build their capacity and go on to become professionals who will pursue the greater socio-economic futures they want to see in Africa.
Applicants are expected to submit a 400-word essay on “Development Reporting: What Matters most to me” as well as a 400-word pitch on their intended story idea/ideas (including timelines, cost implications and access to sources), to [email protected]. Shortlisted journalists are expected to be contacted by April 10. 2017.
