Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowships to COP28

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 CCMP COP28 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.

Overview

Now in its 16th iteration since its launch in 2007, the CCMP has brought more than 400 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to attend and report on the annual UN climate talks. 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.

In addition, CCMP organizers will award 10 virtual fellowships this year, with spots for up to five journalists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and up to five from the Lower Mekong region in two separate cohorts. Each cohort will have a dedicated media trainer supporting them from the ground in Dubai. In the application, journalists will be asked to indicate which Fellowship track they are most interested in.

Applications for the CCMP COP28 Reporting Fellowship will be accepted from June 7-30. Decisions will be communicated in August. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted, so please consider submitting at least one day before the deadline to avoid any issues.

Eligibility 

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 report from a low- or middle-income country in the MENA or Lower Mekong regions, and a list of eligible countries is available here.

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 participating 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, we will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, we 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). We 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.

Judging criteria

We are looking for applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrated experience covering climate change, climate policy, and other environmental topics;
• A clear and well-researched reporting plan for the COP, including potential story ideas, an estimated number of stories they’ll produce during the Fellowship, and demonstrated intention to continue developing their plan as the COP draws closer;
• A relationship with an established media house and a signed letter of support from an editor agreeing to publish or broadcast work produced at the COP.

EJN also considers the need to assemble a diverse cohort of journalists from different types of media houses, mediums, and geographies.

Follow this link for more details and to apply here.