Call for first Cohort of Solutions Journalism Fellowship Nigeria

Nigeria, like the rest of the world, is dealing with a lot of problems. However, beyond all these problems, there are efforts to respond to them. Solutions Journalism aims to tell these stories of how people are  responding to different social problems. The aim is to empower others experiencing similar problems with information on how they are being addressed. 

Solutions Journalism adopts a solutions-oriented approach to storytelling; telling rigorous, investigative, and compelling stories of responses to existing social problems. The insights from these stories can help scale up the responses or replicate them in other places.

It differs from the traditional, often problem-focused journalism because it highlights what works, as opposed to what does not, and goes further to investigate why an intervention or solution to a social problem was able to bring change. Solutions Journalism also looks at what could have been done differently to improve or solve similar problems in other places. It can be used as an effective tool to hold the powerful accountable by showing them how others are solving problems, thereby removing excuses.

As part of our Solutions Journalism Africa Initiative project supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, we work with Newsrooms and individuals to spread the practice of solutions journalism in Nigeria. We train them to understand why solutions journalism matters and support them to produce these stories.

We are currently  working with 10 newsrooms across Nigeria and will be onboarding 10 fellows as part of the initiative.

Like Journalists from the newsrooms, the fellows will be trained to understand how to produce solutions stories and supported to produce theirs over the period of the fellowship (6 months).

What will you get?

• Grant to work on your Solutions Journalism project of choice (projects must be focused on health + any other area in the SDGs. If your project idea is about helping to spread the practice of Solutions Journalism, we will be happy to hear it too)
• Remote support from a mentor to produce your proposed stories
• Editorial freedom to work on your project using your preferred format (video, photography, audio, text, illustration, animation etc)

• Access to exclusive workshops + webinars to hone your solutions journalism and storytelling skills
• Access to a global network of solutions journalists and storytellers 
• Opportunity to publish stories in media outlets outside Nigeria
• Priority in accepting and commissioning your pitches for publication on Nigeria Health Watch website after your fellowship is over

Who we are looking for

• Someone affiliated with a media organisation or a freelancer
• Someone passionate about telling stories of efforts to respond to various social problems especially around health
• Someone who can tell compelling stories using multiple formats (In addition to writers, we want photojournalists, documentary photographers, podcasters, documentary video makers, graphic animators)
• Someone who is already familiar with the solutions journalism framework or interested to learn about it
• Someone willing and available to commit to the fellowship schedule (training, mentoring and periodic check-ins)

How to apply

•  Register to attend an information session where we will introduce solutions journalism (We recommend attending this session if you are not familiar with Solutions Journalism).
• After attending the info session, you can apply here before the deadline (5pm, August 31st, 2021).

Schedule 

July 19  – Open call for applications

July 28 – Solutions Journalism info session webinar

August 31 – Application close by 5pm

September 30th – Feedback to applicants

December 2021 – May 2022 – Fellowship period (onboarding, signing contracts, orientation, training, working on proposed projects, sending final reports)