Background
The climate change crisis is real and affecting all regions around the world. From storms to droughts and extreme heat waves, the world keeps experiencing the destructive effects of climate change and West Africa is no exception. This makes critical media reporting, public awareness raising and advocacy more crucial.
Starting from October 2022 to March 2023, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will host journalists in a six-month Climate Change Reporting Fellowship. The fellowship will afford the selected journalists the opportunity to strengthen their capacity and to produce critical, fact-based, and in-depth reports on climate change-related issues.
The Fellowship is being implemented with support from Deutsche Welle Akademie
Who Can Apply
The opportunity is open to journalists based in both English and French-speaking West African countries specifically Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Togo, Benin, Guinea, and Mali who are:
- Between the ages of 25 to 35 years on or before the application deadline;
- Proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English or French. Francophone applicants must have a working knowledge of English.
- Available for full participation in the fellowship virtually as well as residentially in Accra, Ghana to attend training and assignments from October 2022, to March 2023;
- Willing to dedicate time for the virtual part of the fellowship for three months and travel and reside in Accra, Ghana for another three months (January to March 2023).
Details of Fellowship
The Fellowship will be both residential and non-residential. For the first three (3) months (October to December), fellows will work remotely from their home countries with oversight supervision from assigned mentors/editors. They will participate in virtual training workshops, seminars, and speaking engagements with high-profile personalities including climate change experts and be assigned field projects to produce stories.
The final three (3) months (January to March 2023) will be residential. Fellows outside Ghana will travel to the country to work directly with the MFWA’s public interest and accountability projects – The Fourth Estate and Fact-Check Ghana. Fellows will go through in-person training workshops, and also produce investigative pieces highlighting issues around climate change.
By the end of the six months, each fellow is expected to produce at least two significant stories on climate change. Fellows will also receive a certificate of participation.
Benefits
- Training and mentorship opportunities
- Monthly stipend and data allowance
Selection Process and Criteria
The selection process is a merit-based open competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed after which final selection will be done. Females are encouraged to apply.
Criteria for Selection
- The ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and to respect the opinions of others;
- Strong social and communication skills;
- An energetic, positive attitude; and
- A demonstrated knowledge of, interest in, or professional experience in climate-related matters
Application and Deadline:
Interested applicants must fill out the fellowship application form (Click here for the form). The application form requires an applicant to submit a statement of interest stating why they want to participate in the fellowship (maximum of 350 words), a CV including two referees, and a copy of any national identification. The deadline for the application is September 30, 2022.
Note: Only shortlisted applicants will be notified by email.
For further clarification, kindly contact the MFWA at +233 30 255 5327 or Mia Ewagnignon at +233 50 910 5098.