Deadline: July 12, 2024
Applications are open for the Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2025 for Activists & Investigative Journalists. This is an opportunity for activists and investigative journalists to spend a year working on one pressing social justice challenge and to deliver a body of work at the end of the Fellowship year. Successful applicants will receive non-residential paid Fellowships and project budgets to work independently and together to:
- Investigate the causes of and solutions to the annual Bertha Challenge question
- Amplify their findings to a wider targeted audience
- Connect with diverse stakeholders for information, support and sustainable impact
The sixth Bertha Challenge will begin in January 2025 with a focus on farming and the climate crisis. They invite investigative journalists and activists to apply to the Bertha Challenge Fellowship with a project that responds to the following question:
How is the interconnectedness between corporate interests and political power farming contributing to the global climate crisis and what do people and communities do to expose and counter this?
Benefits
The Fellowships offer:
- Income for each Bertha Fellow for one year, not exceeding USD $64,900 and commensurate with the applicant’s current or equivalent salary at the host organization – ideally a media outlet for an investigative journalist and an NGO, community organization or social movement for an activist.
- A Project Fund of up to USD $10,000 for each Bertha Fellow to produce a culminating product that responds to the question posed by the Bertha Challenge and that is directed towards a specific audience. This could be a series of articles, videos, podcasts, games or drama productions, for example. Joint activist and journalist applicants will have the option to pool their project funding to produce projects on a larger scale.
- Access to a Connect Fund of up to USD $5,000 specifically designed to encourage collaboration between Fellows.
- Regular online discussions with topics on a range of issues from current debates around the Bertha Challenge question to methods of investigation, methods of communicating findings through news media, storytelling, popular education and more.
- Peer and mentor support in the form of regular virtual check-ins with Bertha staff and a cohort of Bertha Fellows.
- Network development through the global cohort of Bertha Fellows and exposure to relevant partners within and beyond the Bertha network.
- A global convening of Bertha Fellows at the start of the Bertha Challenge.
Eligibility
For Activists
- At least five years’ experience working with activists, social movements, grassroots and community organizations, social justice organizations or campaigns.
- Strong connections to a diverse range of relevant groups in the Fellow’s city, country or region, including social movements, community organizations, NGOs, academics, journalists, progressive government officials etc.
- Experience developing organizing tools or popular educational products and materials, for example, training courses, publications, pamphlets, films, podcasts, arts, theatre productions, etc.
- Experience using research, media and the law in advocacy.
- Affiliation to an appropriate host organization to amplify work produced during the Bertha Challenge.
For Investigative Journalists
- Mid-career journalists with at least five years’ experience, a track record and a passion for doing investigative journalism.
- Strong interest and experience in producing work on the Bertha Challenge question and a proven ability to work with affected communities, social movements, community organizations, NGOs, academics, scientists etc.
- Investigative journalism and research ability, a comprehensive understanding of the political landscape concerning the subject matter, and an understanding of the law(s) and political structures determining policy direction and power.
- An ability to work independently.
- Affiliation to an appropriate host media organization that will publish/broadcast work produced during the Bertha Challenge.
Application
For more information, visit Bertha Challenge Fellowship.
