The Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) has opened a motivational but professional corridor through which female journalists can individually benefit a grant of US$500 in the course of five months under a ‘Reporting Project’.
This means an amount of US$100 will be provided each month to applicants who would be successfully admitted into the program.
Funded by an international non-governmental organization, Oxfam, the journalists group says the goal of the ‘Reporting Project’ is to contribute to field trips, editing and production of publishable news materials by female freelancers and those regular in newsrooms.
Under the project, stories would be completed and published during each of the five months upon the acceptance of candidates who will need to agree to the terms of the project, according to FeJAL.
In addition, it says recipients will be required to supply electronic copies of all materials produced, and that the group will give preference to proposals that have relatively narrow focus on specific gender issues after candidates have identified individuals or communities through which to tell a story, said FeJAL president, Siatta Scott Johnson.
“At the end of project grantees will need to account for all expenses by providing a financial report and copies of receipts and invoices of all project related expenses,” she noted.
The group also said that it will set up a review committee that will oversee the vetting of the applicants and the selection process.
Nonetheless, there is a condition that only female journalists with more than three years of experience in the profession are eligible to apply and could be admitted into the scheme.
In an interview with the Liberia News Agency, Madam Johnson described the new project as “a test to see the work female journalists have been doing which include going into the bushes and places that are hard to reach to be able to bring stories that are not regularly told in the media.”
Madam Johnson noted that applicants will have to draft a concise proposal, outlining their ideas and submit it as their applications will be screened considering factors of ethics, quality, and innovation.
“Proposals should be clearly structured, stating briefly at the onset what the story idea is, followed by how and where the story will be researched and what it aims to reveal or contribute to the fight against gender-based violence.
As an auxiliary of the Press Union of Liberia, FeJAL was established in 1998 to help build the capacity of female journalists through training programs, workshops, mentorship and experience sharing, as well as advocate for social justice in the newsroom.
LINA
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