2024 Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists and Investigative Journalists

Fellowship Fund Bertha Foundation posted 10 months ago

Opportunity Description

The Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2024 is now accepting applications. The Bertha Foundation is pleased to announce the introduction of the fifth Bertha Challenge, which will allow activists and investigative journalists to spend a year working on a critical social justice issue and present a body of work at the end of the Fellowship year.

Successful applicants will receive a non-residential paid fellowship and a project budget for working alone and collaboratively on the following projects:

  • Investigate the causes of and solutions to the yearly Bertha Challenge topic.
  • Disseminate their findings to a larger, more targeted audience.
  • Build relationships with various stakeholders for information, support, and long-term effect.

Many activists and investigative journalists are doing ground-breaking work to investigate social justice issues, amplify their work, and connect with audiences, and Bertha recognizes this. The Bertha Challenge aims to help by giving participants time to focus solely on projects, spaces to communicate with a diverse global cohort of Bertha Fellows, and resources to create tangible products that address the Challenge question.

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The 2024 Bertha Challenge calls on journalists and activists to work against misinformation and its effects on the climate crisis. It is for those dedicated professionals holding the line on science and rigorous analysis.

Organized by: Bertha Foundation
Registration Deadline: 4 July 2023

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Challenge Start: January 2024

Benefits of the Bertha Challenge Fellowship

Fellows will benefit from the program as follows:

  • Each Bertha Fellow will receive a one-year stipend of not more than USD 64,900, consistent with the applicant’s existing or equivalent income at the host organization — An investigative journalist would choose to work for a news organization. At the same time, an activist would prefer to work for a non-profit, community organization, or social movement.
  • A Project Fund of up to $10,000 for each Bertha Fellow to create their final projects that respond to Bertha’s Challenge and target a specific audience; This could include, for example, a series of articles, films, podcasts, games, or theatre productions. Applicants who are both activists and journalists can pool their project funding to produce larger-scale ventures.
  • Access to a Connect Fund up to $5000 to stimulate Fellow collaboration.
  • Regular online discussions on various themes, ranging from current food controversies to inquiry methodologies, methods of presenting discoveries through the news media, storytelling, popular education, and more
  • Regular online check-ins with Bertha staff and a cohort of Bertha Fellows provide peer and mentor support.
  • The global cohort of Bertha Fellows provides network growth and exposure to critical partners both within & beyond the Bertha network, including our legal colleagues in the Bertha Justice Network.
  • At the outset of the Bertha Challenge, there will be a global gathering of Bertha Fellows and invites to join alum gatherings after the Fellowship year has ended.

Eligibility Criteria

The following are the set of requirements for the Bertha Challenge Fellowship:

  • Activists and investigative journalists are welcome.
  • This program is a full-time Fellowship, and the Fellows will spend time working in their home countries and should:
  1. Attend an in-person global convening at the beginning of the Fellowship
  2. Develop and present a concluding product that responds to the Bertha Challenge question
  3. Attend two virtual meetings per month, and facilitate these meetings
  4. Develop local and global network relationships.
  • Applicants may be from any country and work in any capacity; however, to ensure that this cohort of applicants is diverse,
  • Bertha Fellows can be entirely participative since all applicants must be fluent in spoken and written English and able to present their final work in English.

Selection Criteria

There are different selection criteria for the activists and investigative journalists as follows:

Activist Criteria:

  • Minimum five years’ experience working with activists, grassroots and community organizations, social movements, social justice organizations, or campaigns
  • Strong connections to relevant groups in the Fellow’s city, country, or region: social movements, NGOs, academics, journalists, community organizations, progressive government officials
  • Experience emerging organizing tools or popular educational materials and products, such as training courses, pamphlets, films, publications, podcasts, arts, and theatre productions
  • Experience using media, research, and the law in advocacy
  • Affiliation to a proper host organization to amplify works produced during the Challenge.

Investigative Journalist Criteria:

  • Be a mid-career journalist having at least five years’ experience, a track record, and an interest to do investigative journalism
  • Experience and strong interest in producing work on the Bertha Challenge question and ability to work with communities, social movements, NGOs, academics, community organizations, scientists
  • Research and investigative journalism ability, a complete understanding of the political scenery concerning the subject matter, political structures determining policy direction and power, and an understanding of the law(s)
  • Ability to work independently
  • Affiliation to eligible host media organizations to publish or broadcast work produced during the Bertha Challenge.

Application Requirements

All applicants should submit these required documents:

  • Filled online application form
  • CV in English (max. three pages)
  • List of 2-4 referees, including name, their relationship to the applicant & contact information.
  • A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from their host organization, including commensurate salary & any benefits provided.
  • Prior work examples

How to apply for Bertha Challenge Fellowship?

Eligible Activists and Investigative journalists can apply through the separate application forms linked below.

Apply as an Activist
Apply as an Investigative Journalist

Please visit Bertha Foundation’s website to learn more about Bertha Challenge Fellowship.

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