International Call for Pitches

Transitions is announcing a call for microgrants for journalists interested in developing solutions stories. In addition to financial support, they are also offering mentoring during the entire production of the article to achieve the highest possible quality. The grants are for stories from Central and Eastern Europe.

Story pitches must be submitted in English and you are supposed to prepare the article in English for an international audience. But don’t worry, your English doesn’t have to be perfect. They will provide you with an English-speaking editor and also, if necessary, arrange mentoring in your native language. The stories will be published in Transitions Magazine. However, you are also free to publish the article in your own publication in your native language.

What is Solutions Journalism and why is it important?

Solutions Journalism is rigorous reporting about existing responses to society’s problems. It not only spotlights problems but also follows an evidence-based analysis of existing solutions. Such reporting enhances knowledge and accountability by providing the whole story to readers and offers constructive content in an age of media apathy.

Read more about what solutions journalism is (and what it isn’t) and find some inspiring stories reported by grantees at the Transitions Knowledge Center for Solutions Journalism.

Before you submit your pitch…

They strongly recommend taking the free course Solutions Journalism: Reporting on Effective Responses to Society’s Problems to be sure you understand the basics of this approach. In their experience, those who have already taken the course or reviewed related resources are much more likely to receive funding.

Examples of solutions stories can be found here.

Basic criteria for pitching a solutions story

Your pitch should

• Demonstrate high-quality journalism (rigorous reporting)
• Describe an existing response to a social problem and how it works in detail (it does not present theories and claims of “should be”)
• Show evidence of the impact of the solution (not just good intentions)

What they will consider when evaluating your pitch

• Does it focus on a concrete solution?
• Does the solution have clearly defined objectives and the activities leading to their achievement?
• What is the social importance of the topic and its contribution to public debate?
• What is the professional credibility of the author/editorial staff and the individuals involved in the pitch?

Application and what happens next

If you want to apply, please fill in the APPLICATION FORM.

Pitches must be submitted in English (don’t worry it doesn’t have to be perfect English!). They will be accepting pitches on a running basis.

The grant recipients will have six weeks to publish their work.

After publishing the story, the grantee is required to submit a report of a minimum of 4,000 characters on his/her practical experience with the use of solutions journalism and to agree that Transitions and/or the Solutions Journalism Network may use all or parts of the final report for promotional or training purposes.

If you have questions, please contact Jeremy Druker: jeremy.druker@tol.org or Meenal Thakur: meenal.thakur@tol.org