Mediterranean Media Initiative Story Grants 2024

• Eligibility Criteria
  – Applicants can be from any country that borders the Mediterranean Sea.  Countries include: Algeria; Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Cyprus; Egypt; France; Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory); Greece; Italy; Israel; Lebanon; Libya; Malta; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Palestine; Slovenia; Spain; Syria; Tunisia; Türkiye;
  – Groups of journalists are eligible; however, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded;
  – Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or French or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff;
  – Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience. They welcome applications from early-career journalists and experienced reporters with a track record of environmental issues. They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organisations—international, national, local and community-based.;
  – EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, plagiarism and/or submitting AI-generated content as their own.
• Type of Funding: Programmatic
• Target Region: Algeria; Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Cyprus; Egypt; France; Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory); Greece; Italy; Israel; Lebanon; Libya; Malta; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Palestine; Slovenia; Spain; Syria; Tunisia; Türkiye.
• Application Language: English, French or Arabic

The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is inviting applications for the Mediterranean Media Initiative Story Grants to support the production of in-depth stories covering current and emerging marine issues in the Mediterranean, including governance problems exacerbating these crises.

Launched in March 2022, the Mediterranean Media Initiative is now in its second phase. Over the past two years, they have fostered a strong network of journalists across the region, supporting the production of impactful stories that shed light on critical marine issues and influenced public understanding and policy decisions related to ocean sustainability in the Mediterranean region.

Story Themes

They welcome story ideas that focus on the following themes:

• Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)
• Fishing and Destructive Practices
• Emerging Anthropogenic Stressors in Marine Environments
• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Fisheries Restricted Areas (FRAs), and Biodiversity Loss; The 30×30 Goal
• Regional Fisheries Management
• Innovative Technology Solutions for Mediterranean Marine Issues

They seek to support stories that will drive conversation among communities and policymakers at the local, national, and regional level. Don’t provide unique angles to environmental or climate challenges are less likely to be selected.

Funding information

For the Mediterranean Media Initiative Story Grants, they expect to award up to 10 grants with a budget of up to 1,000 Euros each with the expectation that all stories will be published by January 1, 2025, at the latest. Applicants should consider this timeline when drafting their workplan.

See here to learn more and apply.

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