Deadline: 30-Jun-23

The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP), led by internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, is pleased to announce the COP28 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship Program for journalists interested in covering the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28).

Hosted this year by the United Arab Emirates, the conference is scheduled to take place in the city of Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

This has enabled journalists from around the world to cover the climate negotiations for their home audiences, while benefiting from working alongside knowledgeable media trainers and gaining a multifaceted understanding of the actions countries are taking — or not taking — to address climate change’s global impact.

This year, the CCMP Reporting Fellowship aims to bring up to 20 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to report in-person at COP28.

Logistics

• In-Person Fellowship Track Logistics
  • CCMP In-Person Fellows will travel to Dubai to attend the entire duration of the UN climate negotiations, with arrival planned for November 28, 2023 and departure on December 14, 2023.
  • The CCMP will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to Fellowship participation. Organizers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip.
  • Prior to the start of COP28, Fellows will receive resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting at the conference, including a pre-COP virtual workshop to meet the team, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions. Once in Dubai, Fellows will participate in a series of specially designed activities over the two-week period on the ground, including an orientation session with seasoned climate journalists and experts on the key issues at this COP, daily briefings, networking events and interviews with high-level officials. They will also be guided by EJN trainers, who are senior journalists with experience covering UN climate summits.
  • Note – The process of obtaining any necessary visas is the Fellow’s individual responsibility, though the CCMP will reimburse visa costs.
• Virtual Fellowship Track Logistics
  • Virtual Fellowships will run from 30 November to 13 December 2023.
  • Virtual Fellows will be supported by a media trainer who will be on the ground in Dubai. Virtual Fellowships will include a number of online activities, mostly conducted over Zoom, including:
    • Regular meetings with trainers one-on-one and in groups about the latest COP news.
    • Support in accessing information about the COP, including documents and live-streamed events.
    • Group interviews with officials or other experts.
    • Assistance with sourcing and interview scheduling.
    • Mentoring and editing support for story development.
    • Possible virtual networking opportunities.

Geography Focus

• Virtual Fellowship
  • Lower Mekong: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
  • Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen
  • Note: Journalists originally from the listed countries who have had to relocate and are now living elsewhere are eligible for the virtual opportunity.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for the In-person Fellowship track, the applicant must:
  • Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low- or middle-income country.
  • Be available and willing to travel to Dubai to attend COP28 in person, arriving on November 28 and departing no earlier than December 14, 2023.
• To be eligible for the Virtual Fellowship track, the applicant must:
  • Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low- or middle-income country in the MENA or Lower Mekong regions.
• To be eligible for either Fellowship track, the applicant must:
  • Have a good command of the English language.
  • Have previous experience reporting on climate change issues and clearly indicate the kinds of stories you might pursue about the conference.
  • Commit to participate in all Fellowship activities.
  • Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer, or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply but must provide a letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report.
  • Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples on climate change topics, which can be uploaded as documents or web links. Stories can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis. Clips must focus on climate change topics. Note: You’ll be asked to upload these supporting documents once you start the application process, so please have them ready.
• For the purposes of this opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must be able to participate fully in an English-language Fellowship to be awarded.
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations — international, national, local and community-based.
• Journalists who attended COP26 or COP27 with EJN’s support are not eligible for this opportunity.
• EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct.

For more information, visit Earth Journalism Network.