ICFJ/FJP COVID-19 Reporting Grants for MENA Journalists

In partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project, ICFJ will offer a combination of grants, webinars, and professional mentorship to support publishers as they navigate the challenges associated with COVID-19. 

These grants are designed to provide financial support to individual journalists and freelancers in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Yemen to assist them in their COVID-19 reporting.  

Selected journalists will receive a $2,500 grant to produce stories related to COVID-19 and its effects. They will also receive a mentor to help them develop their stories for a period of two months. All grantees must participate in a kick-off call with mentors and ICFJ staff. 

Application process 

To be considered, applicants must fit the listed criteria below: 

• Reporter working for an independent nonprofit or for-profit local news organizations, both located in the Middle East or North Africa region; 

• Have been a reporter for two years or more; 

• The publisher’s Facebook pages and Instagram accounts are in compliance with Facebook community standards and partner monetization policies. 

• Must accept to participate in a mentorship program for the grant period. 

Grant preference will be given to journalists who meet one or more of the following criteria: 

• Serve underserved and economically disadvantaged communities; 

• Represent areas where COVID-19 impact is particularly acute; 

• Actively covering COVID-19 and producing original news content related to COVID-19; 

• Clearly and candidly explain the grant's contribution to their reporting proposal; 

• Have a letter of support from the publisher. 

The application period will be open from May 14 to June 12. 

To apply, click on this link. 

Feel free to reach out to Tabitha Richmond at trichmond@icfj.org with any questions.