DRL Strengthening Independent Media in the East Asia and Pacific Region

• Eligibility Criteria
  – DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organisations/nongovernmental organisations (NGO) and public international organisations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses;
  – Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process.
• Type of Funding: Programmatic
• Target Region: East Asia and Pacific
• Application Language: English

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for a project to strengthen independent media’s ability to increase access to objective and quality information in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region.

Independent media outlets and journalists in the EAP region are operating under an increasingly restrictive environment. Governments and malign actors seeking to tighten control over available information and public discourse have overseen a deterioration in the protection of fundamental freedoms and access to information across the region.

To address the closing space for freedom of expression, DRL seeks proposals that will provide financial and technical assistance to small and medium-sized independent media outlets to strengthen their ability to safely produce and disseminate accurate information to audiences in the Asia Pacific.

The goal of this project is to support the independence of regional journalists and media outlets to increase access to information within the domestic and regional media ecosystems.

Project Activities

Illustrative project activities could include:

• Enhance independent journalists and media outlets’ ability to produce timely, ethical, and fact-based reporting on the region’s political, economic, and social developments through technical and financial assistance.
• Strengthen civil society and journalists ability to more readily identify and report on mis- and disinformation narratives as well as legal restrictions to freedoms of expression.
• Continue to support existing efforts, tools, and creative opportunities used by local journalists to share credible information with regional audiences.
• Develop business development strategies to ensure media outlets can sustain independence in the face of increasing repression.
• Provide digital and physical security training and resources, as well as psychosocial support and legal aid to journalists and civil society supporting freedoms of expression.

Funding Information

• Total Funding Floor: $100,000
• Total Funding Ceiling: $200,000
• Anticipated Number of Awards: 2
• Period of Performance:  18-24 months

See here to learn more and apply.

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