Applications are open for “Impact Journalism Grant Programme 2019” with an aim to advance innovative reporting on the topic of land and property inclusivity in India.
The goal of the grant is to raise awareness among the general public about issues faced by the poor related to land, property and related areas. The grant invites entries from journalists, film makers, writers, freelancers and individuals and will select the best to further report on these issues by providing them with a grant amount.
The 2019 grant has two categories – Print category with written submissions and Video category with video submissions.
Eligibility Criteria
Individuals with a compelling story (development professionals, students etc.) are welcome to participate as well.
There are no citizenship or residence requirements, as long as applicants story is based in India and submitted in English or Hindi.
Round 1: Freelance or permanently employed individual journalists, film makers, freelancers or small teams (including support staff as appropriate, e.g., photographers, graphic designers, editors or data experts), may apply with a 200-word proposal.
Round 2: Their internal jury will shortlist and announce up to 20 finalists in print category and 3 finalists in video category who qualify for a reporting allowance up to INR 10,000/- and INR 25,000/- respectively. The allowance can be used to research and work on applicants story.
Selection criteria
The jury will judge applications based on the following criteria:
Topic and substance: Is the topic original, balanced and focused? Does it cover an under-reported story, or a new angle?
Quality of writing/production and presentation: Will it be a strong piece of writing that gets attention?
Impact value: Does it have the potential to raise people’s awareness? Will it cause engagement or change of thinking and even acting?
Additionally, initiative and enterprise: Going beyond the obvious and expected will be rewarded.