Deadline: March 1, 2016 | Apply here
[Oops, the opportunity has already expired. Sign up to AlphaGamma weekly newsletters to stay ahead of the game]
Eligibility: Experienced journalists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Serbia
Prize: a €2,000 bursary and up to another €2,000 for travel and research expenses
Do you have an idea for a big story? Do you want to write and report it to the highest standards, with quality editorial support and a generous expenses budget that lets you explore your subject in depth? Would you like that story to be published across southeast Europe and perhaps make international impact?
If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, now is the time to apply for The Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence.
The Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence
Journalists from the Balkans are increasingly required to cover complex reform issues, taking in a regional and Europe-wide dimension. The fellowship provides editorial guidance, training and adequate funding to do so.
In order to encourage regional networking among journalists and advance balanced coverage on topics that are central to the region as well as to the European Union, the ERSTE Foundation and the Open Society Foundations are supporting the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence programme, in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN.
Each year, 10 journalists are chosen through open competition to receive funding and professional support to conduct in-depth research into a topic of regional and EU significance – for 2016 the subject is Trust. Use this topic to inspire a new idea for a story. Or think of a story you’ve wanted to write and see if you can link it to the topic.
It is a chance to advance your career and work on a story you can be proud of. You will be supported by experienced editors and journalists from around the region. Stories from the programme will be published by BIRN and by prominent regional and international media outlets. The top three stories, as selected by an independent jury, will also receive cash awards.
Experienced journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Serbia are eligible to apply.
Applicants selected by an independent committee to take part in the fellowship will receive a €2,000 bursary and up to another €2,000 for travel and research expenses. They will also attend international seminars and receive continuous one-to-one mentoring for their stories. The fellowship features an introductory seminar in Vienna, mentorship of each fellow’s research and reporting, individual research trips to countries of the region and the EU, as well as a concluding seminar and award ceremony.
Please download the Guidelines here.
For more business and career opportunities, check our opportunities section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.
