Journalists sometimes say, that oh yes, it would be no problem to do this fantastic story if just…. they had a bit of extra time for the research or if just…. they had a bit of extra money to meet with another colleague to cooperate on the research or if just….
For those journalists, who have a good story with relevance in Europe or in several European countries there is now a bit of help!
Journalismfund.eu supports cross-border research carried out by journalists from several European countries. Jouranlismfund.eu gives individual research grants to small teams of journalists, who have a good story. A new call for applications is out today. This round € 20.000 are to be distributed.
Of course there are always two main questions: Where does the money come from, and what about editorial independence?
Well!
Journalismfund.eu is a project of the Belgian Pascal Decroos Fund, the FPD, which for ten years has given this type of research grants to journalists working on a story with relevance in Flanders. The FPD provides offices and other facilities.
The initial seed funding comes from the Norwegian freedom of speech foundation Fritt Ord
The current second level seed funding now comes from the Open Society Institute’s Media Program. Read about the funding for the research grants.
And the editorial independence?
Every time, money is granted to journalism, there must be a buffer to guarantee editorial independence. In this case we have chosen a combination of two elements. Journalists and investigative journalist organizations give their good reputation to Journalismfund.eu by joining the advisory board. In addition we have a model with an anonymous jury.
The jury consists of four persons. They were selected in the spring of 2009 among a long-list of highly respected media persons gathered by the advisory board. In the spring of 2011 the first two members will leave the board and their names will be published then.
Are there any criteria and rules? Yes, there are. Journalismfund.eu aims to fulfill the niche of covering stories that go across borders or have relevance in several European countries, se the rules for application and the assessment criteria, which the jury applies.
For other types of support for example on national level or outside the European Union and the European Economic Area have a look at our list of other journalism grants.
So now – no more excuses!
Get inspiration from our list of cross-border reporting projects and read more about alternative funding for journalism in our news section and in the archive.
Tags: Journalismfund.eu
#1 by Hajo Friedrich on October 10th, 2009 - 2:36 pm
Brigitte, thank you very much for this really useful information. It’s good news – not only for journalists, who still believe in real journalism. Also the public has one reason more to expect good investigative results of journalistic work. This is more and more necessary in a world, where vested interests don’t want light in their (?) business.
Let’s encourage more foundations and other money-sources to invest in this kind of journalism. Democracy desparately needs it.
One question: How to come in contact with possible partners in other countries?
Go on, “Watchdog”!
#2 by Marcel on October 14th, 2009 - 6:21 pm
Real journalism? Yeah, like all those journalists who have been enthralled by the antidemocratic EU and fail to report to the peoples about how parliamentary democracy is being destroyed in favor of EU elitocracy.
Journalists my bottom.
#3 by Joe Noory on October 19th, 2009 - 7:41 pm
So you believe that there is something good about journalism being funded by non-profit NGOs and by paragovernmental organizations? Are you sure that an organization established to promote one stance or policy or another is in some way a legitimate way of getting ‘unbiased news’ to the public?
Forget what they say, watch what they do, and be aware that they have their own motives other than that of honest reporting.
Whatever the image any of an organization of that sort is trying to promote, it’s a fig leaf for funded, advocacy journalism.
I’m stunned that there are jounalists, commentators, and observers who don’t see through that.