LAST DAY TO APPLY :Journalists’ Training Opportunity for Reporting on Oil, Gas and Minerals

The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is offering a media capacity development program for reporters in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. Applications are invited from practitioners who work for media organizations based in these countries. The program is designed for early- to mid-career journalists with a demonstrated interest in covering the extractive sectors of oil, gas and minerals. Good management of extractive resources and revenues requires informed, responsive, and dynamic media to provide necessary oversight and inform the public about critical governance issues.THE TRAINING PROGRAM

The program offers a wide range of benefits: holistic and comprehensive support to journalists through specialized knowledge and skills modules; professional mentoring; experiential learning; reporting grants; prizes for outstanding reporting; access to sources and vital information and data; as well as interaction with peers, experts, policy makers, and oversight actors.
At the core of the training program, originally developed in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation, are two residential courses. The foundation Course A, an Africa regional workshop, will take place in Ghana, on 7-18 SEPTEMBER 2015 at Penplusbytes, Accra. The follow-up Course B will consist of three parallel national workshops in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda. These will take place on dates to be determined later in the year.Successful applicants will be sponsored and required to commit to and complete all aspects of the training. The program will run for six months and includes a series of individual and collective learning activities and professional support. The training will be delivered in partnership with Penplusbytes in Ghana, Journalists’ Environmental Association of Tanzania, and African Centre for Media Excellence in Uganda.
Learn more about the NRGI media program at:
http://www.resourcegovernance.org/publications/fact_sheets/strengthening-media-oversight-extractive-sectors

HOW TO APPLY
As this is a competitive process, priority will be given to reporters submitting the strongest applications, by providing the information requested in the application form. The closing date for receiving applications is 30 JUNE 2015.
Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YDQTVC3 to apply.

IMF holds a 2-day financial and economic reporting workshop for Ghanaian Journalists

from Left to Right : Samir JahJah, IMF’s resident representative for Ghana,Deputy Minister of Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson,Mathieu Robbins and James Jukwey

The Deputy Minister of Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has said that training of journalists to enhance efficiency and accuracy in reporting economic issues is very critical to enabling citizen participation in the economic development process. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop scheduled for the June 25th, 2015 to June 26th, 2015 organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in conjunction with Penplusbytes and the Institute for Financial and Economic Journalists on economic and finance reporting at the New Media Hub in Accra.

The workshop seeks to build the capacity of Ghanaian journalists in exercising an oversight role in the utilization of the fund in the area of macroeconomics and international finance. Also, in attendance were Samir JahJah, IMF’s resident representative for Ghana, Andrew Kanyegirire and Dieng Ismalia of IMF communications department. The workshop is facilitated by Mathieu Robbins and James Jukwey who are trainers from Thomson Reuters Foundation. Robbins, stated that the training will generally refresh the skills of the participants and empower them to easily and transparently cover financial news in Ghana.


A total number of 13 business reporters from various media houses are partaking in this workshop. These media house include; Joy FM/Multi TV, Ghana News Agency, Peace FM, Citi FM, GBC Radio, Daily Guide, The Finder, Business and Financial Times, Business World, Daily Express, CAJ News Africa and TV3.

Participants have generally recounted the importance and impact of the programme in the execution of their tasks in reporting economic issues as journalists.
“This training is an eye opener as I have learnt a lot about the IMF and their operations than I initially knew. It will help me in making informed decisions when I am reporting,” said Mercy Darko of the Radio division of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

APPLY NOW: The 2015 Forum Freelance Fund bursary competition

This bursary, sponsored by Giselle Portenier, is open to freelance journalists or independent documentary-makers with projects focusing on human rights abuses. The winner will receive up to $3,000 for hazardous environment training, and the competition is open to people of any nationality, with no requirement for a Canadian connection. See the new appendix to the FFF rules for details.

The Portenier is the first bursary to be offered in our new Stream C. Applicants for the Portenier who also meet the qualifications for Streams A and B, may apply in one of those streams as well, but no one will receive more than one FFF bursary.

This is the fifth annual FFF competition. Last year eight bursaries were awarded.

“Cash-strapped media organizations are relying more and more on freelancers for coverage from the world’s most dangerous places,” said Forum president Cliff Lonsdale.

“The Forum doesn’t encourage freelancers to put themselves in danger – but danger has a habit of finding journalists in many parts of the world, and freelancers are at greater risk than most staffers because they have fewer supports. The training these bursaries help to provide significantly improves the odds.”

In February, the Forum joined more than two dozen prominent news organizations and advocacy groups subscribing to a declaration of Global Safety Principles and Practices.

The Forum Freelance Fund provides bursaries of up to CDN $2,500 to help Canadian freelancers attend hazardous environment safety training courses. Approved courses are currently available in the United States, Britain and occasionally Kenya. Foreign freelancers doing work for Canadian media or foreign media with a bureau presence in Canada are also eligible.

The 2015 competition will be held, for the fourth year running, in cooperation with Rory Peck Trust (RPT) which may, in its sole discretion, grant additional bursaries to successful candidates. Forum Freelance Fund (FFF) applications are assessed each year by an independent panel, including a representative of RPT.

Qualified applicants for our regular FFF bursaries must choose between Streams A and B, and state that choice on their application form.

Applicants selecting stream A contend for bursaries of up to $2,500 to attend courses provided commercially by AKE, Centurion, 1st Options Security, Global Journalist Security, Pilgrims Group, Remote Trauma, or TYR Solutions. These courses typically run 4 to 5 days.
The list of course providers is reviewed each year. More approved course providers may be added before the 2015 competition closes.

While costs vary, these courses are more expensive, and in some cases longer, than the ones in Stream B. Courses are held on numerous dates and in various locations throughout the year. Successful applicants secure a place on the course of their choice, by the approved provider of their choice. Normally, the course must begin within 9 months.

Applicants selecting stream B contend for bursaries of up to $1,000 to attend special 4-day courses for freelancers and others at Columbia Journalism School in New York, now held once in October and once in April. These courses, Reporting Safely in Crisis Zones, have  significantly lower fees. Successful applicants must also apply to and be accepted by Columbia. Click here for more.

Course providers in each stream will offer discounts of at least 5% on published fees, the benefit of which will be given to bursary winners. In some cases in stream A, the discount offered may be significantly higher.

Additional bursaries from RPT may be available to applicants in both streams, at the sole discretion of the Trust. Applicants in Stream A should wait to be invited to apply by RPT. Applicants in Stream B should follow the application instructions on the course website.

Bursaries from RPT can be applied to course fees only. Bursaries from the Forum Freelance Fund may be applied to course fees, travel and accommodation costs. The Forum Freelance Fund may set a maximum for travel and accommodation costs in its sole discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Recipients of bursaries from The Rory Peck Trust must comply with all of RPT's conditions. Any bursaries granted by RPT will not be channeled through the Forum Freelance Fund.

Those considering applying should first read the rules of the competition - in English or French. These rules and the list of approved course providers may be adjusted from time.  

After reading the rules, please complete and submit the on-line application form for streams A and B and/or, for the Portenier Human Rights Bursary, the separate application form for stream C.

The 2015 Forum Freelance Fund bursary competition is now open for applications. Closing date is June 30.

Read details here.

Penplusbytes to Promote Gender and ICT through New Partnerships

At an impressive ceremony held in Accra, Penplusbytes signed 2 separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South Labone Girls Vocational Training Centre and STEMBees to support the promotion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) amongst girls and young females at the New Media Hub in Accra.

Mrs Dela Sowah, the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection who witnessed the ceremony as special guest of honor expressed delight at the project being embarked on by Penplusbytes and its partners, pledging the Ministry’s support for such an initiative. She added that, “This project by Penplusbytes will contribute to redressing the gender divide that has less women in ICT skills development and use, and empower girls to also leverage on ICT and its many benefits.”

Also present at the ceremony was Kwami Ahiabenu, II, Director of Penplusbytes who signed on behalf of his organisation; Linda Ansong, President of STEMbees, Madam Georgina Mensah, Director of the South Labone Girls Vocational Training Centre, both signing on behalf of their respective organisations and Alhaji Iss hak Omar, a Director of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI).

Dorothy Gordon, Director – General, Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE), who also graced the event said women are the more marginalized in accessing ICT compared to men. This can be attributed to the fact that men generally earn higher salaries than women do. She added that, “If women don’t learn to use ICT to enhance their businesses, the gender gap can only grow wider; hence the importance of this project. The ceremony was chaired by Charity Binka, Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) and board Member of Penplusbytes, who indicated that she cannot wait to see the products of these partnership in the near future.

ICT keeps changing the world and there is a universal focus to raise the interest of young females in this area by building familiarity amongst them with the hope that they would consider roles in the ICT industry as future career choices as well as equipping them with the needed ICT skills to change their personal lives and improve society as a whole.

Under these new partnerships, Penplusbytes working with STEMbees and the Girls Vocational Training Centre, will provide skills training, mentoring and practical capacity building in ICT for over 200 girls over the next couple of months.

Kwami Ahiabenu, II, Director of Penplusbytes said, “today is a milestone for Penplusbytes as we start an important journey of empowering and motivating girls and young women with life changing skills and knowledge they need not only in information and communication technologies, but also in the broader area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” In the near future, through our close collaboration with our key partners on this project, we hope to celebrate the fruits of this project with tangible stories about how new digital technologies can make a difference”

ABOUT
Penplusbytes is a leading organization in Africa, established in 2001 and working in 3 areas: the use of technology to drive governance and accountability, new media and innovations as well as oil, gas and mining.

'Old stories, new perspectives': Drone journalism in Africa

African SkyCAM founder Dickens Olewe explains how drones can safeguard journalistic independence when reporting on issues and disasters

By: Abigail Edge

Credit: By JacobEnos on Flickr.Some rights reserved.

Less than two miles from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, the Dandora Dump is both a blessing and a curse to the communities which surround it.

Up to 10,000 people make their living from the 850 tonnes of rubbish that arrives at the dump daily, sorting through it for anything which might be useful to sell or keep, and risking their health – and their lives – in the process.

The dump, established as a temporary waste site in the 1970s and officially declared full in 2001, has been covered many times by journalists.

However, a team of journalists in Africa decided the story needed to be told from a different angle: with drones.

"When it comes to drone journalism I always talk about all old stories, new perspectives," explained Dickens Olewe, founder of African SkyCAM, at the World News Media Congress in Washington DC.

"This story has been told all the time, but people have just never brought this kind of shot of 'OK, what are we actually talking about? What are the challenges that these people face?'"

Together with journalism technologist Ben Kreimer, Olewe visited Nairobi in November 2014 and flew a video drone over the Dandora Dump to show an aerial perspective of the site.

The pair also used the footage to produce a 3D model of the dump to offer audiences "a massive experience" of its 30-acre scale, as well as its proximity to schools and houses.

"I thought it was really important to inspire the imagination of not just our readers, but also the government, who I knew at some point would want to regulate this space," said Olewe.

SkyCAM was one of 20 projects awarded funding by the inaugural African News Innovation Challenge in 2012, which invited African journalists to come up with digital solutions to address hurdles faced by media across the world's second-largest continent.

At the time, Kenya was under siege from flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rain, killing more than 80 people and displacing around 30,000.

Olewe was concerned about the "threat to editorial independence" of state-organised helicopter tours offered to the members of the media, who were simultaneously attempting to assess how the government was responding to the disaster.

Journalists travelling to unsafe flooded areas – often via local fishing boats – were also risking their lives, not to mention their expensive equipment.

In addition, the story was widely being reported using traditional, standard formats – what Olewe described as "template journalism" – something he did not feel fully conveyed the sheer scale and impact of the floods.

His solution was to use drones, using "local technology as an alternative to helicopters".

Since then, SkyCAM has filmed everything from political rallies to conservation pieces.

A Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, Olewe is now working on a best practice manual to encourage responsible and safe use of drones in journalism.

Referring to the legal framework which governs where, when and how drones can be used, he said journalists "need to be at the table when these regulations are being made".

Culled from https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/old-stories-new-perspectives-drone-journalism-in-africa/s2/a565390/

Apply Now: Youth photojournalism contest open

Photographers under age 24 and those enrolled as full-time photography students can apply for the scholarship.

The Ian Parry Scholarship aims to help young documentary photographers undertake a chosen project and raise their international profile.

The first place winner will receive GBP3,500 (US$5,363); the runner-up will receive GBP500 (US$766). In addition, the Sunday Times Magazine will publish a selection of images from the competition, and Reportage by Getty Images will add the winner to its online Emerging Talent group.

World Press Photo automatically nominates the winner for its Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam, and Canon provides a choice of equipment.

There is no entry fee. The deadline to apply is July 7.

For more information, click here.

Penplusbytes Participates in Civil Society Forum on Ghana’s IMF Bailout Programme

Having successfully played a pivotal role in the coming together of key civil society players in Ghana to dialogue with major stakeholders in Government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the details of the latter’s bailout package, Penplusbytes will join other civil society entities for the CS Platform’s 2^nd National Civil Society Forum on Ghana’s IMF Programme on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at Mensvic hotel in Accra.

The forum, running on the theme, “National Conversation on the Implementation and Monitoring of the Ghana-IMF Programme” will be the first gathering of the Platform’s members after the IMF Approved a US$918 Million ECF Arrangement to Help Ghana Boost Growth, Jobs and Stability back in April this year.

Guided by the aim to enhance a citizen-based participatory dialogue at each step of the IMF bailout process, the forum seeks to sustain a national conversation to discuss and agree on common positions on the key issues by civil society to inform both Government and IMF at the implementation and monitoring stages of the programme. The forum is yet another opportunity to increase public interest and discourse on critical subjects which inevitably impacts their lives and, promote public awareness and inclusiveness in the entire fiscal programme.

President of Penplusbytes, Kwami Ahiabenu, II, reiterates the platform’s neutrality and genuine motivation to contribute towards ensuring the most positive impact possible on the ordinary Ghanaian as the most credible basis to judging the eventual relevance of the IMF intervention. “Our focus as an organisation however is to find ways of leveraging on relevant ICTs, such as bulk SMS, Social Media and on-line Platforms to as many Ghanaians as possible to make informed contributions,” he said.

The platform is made up of several other institutions including Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), SEND Ghana, Ghana Institute for Public Policy, Occupy Ghana, Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Institute for Chartered Accountants, IMANI Ghana, Oxfam Ghana, Financial Accountability and Transparency- Africa (FAT-Africa), and Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII).

ABOUT

Penplusbytes is a leading organization in Africa, established in 2001 and working in 3 areas: the use of technology to drive governance and accountability, new media and innovations as well as oil, gas and mining.

Civil Society Platform is an initiative to advocate for civil society inclusiveness in major public financial management issues and in particular the IMF negotiations as well as the implementation of the final agreement. It is made up of broad spectrum of leading civil society organisations in Ghana.

APPLY NOW: NFP and MSP (MENA) scholarships

NFP stands for Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP), MSP stands for MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Scholarship Programme. NFP scholarships are available for 51 countries, MSP scholarships for 9 countries*.
You can only apply for a scholarship for your chosen course during the 'application window' for that course. The next round to apply for an NFP or MSP scholarship will be open from 2 June - 24 July 2015** during which you can apply for these five courses:

• Mastering Story in Documentary-making (25 Nov ’15 - 19 Feb ’16)
• Using Media for Development (18 - 29 Jan ’16)
• Producing Media to Counter Radicalisation (18 Jan - 5 Feb ’16)
• Video Journalism (15 – 26 Feb ’16)
• Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism (15 Feb - 4 March ’16)

An NFP or MSP scholarship will pay for the full cost of your travel and visa (if required), accommodation and meals, insurance and the course fee. The NFP and the MSP scholarship programmes are funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and administered by Nuffic, the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education.
There are many more applications than there are scholarships available. Not everyone can apply for an NFP or MSP scholarship. Therefore, it is important that you meet all the RNTC and Nuffic criteria.
* The MSP is now open to applicants of Syrian nationality who are residing and working outside of Syria in one of the selected MSP countries. MSP is currently not open to applicants from Oman.
** Please note that the deadline for sending in your RNTC application is Thursday 23 July 12.00 C.E.T. Only then we can guarantee that we can evaluate your application and (if you are eligible for the course) can send you the link to apply in ATLAS; the online system for your NFP or MSP scholarship application. The deadline for applying in ATLAS is Friday 24 July 24.00 C.E.T. Support from our office is available until Friday 24 July 17.00 hours C.E.T. Also check the NFP and MSP application procedure

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Journalists' Training Opportunity for Reporting on Oil, Gas and Minerals – 2015

The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is offering a media capacity development program for reporters in Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. Applications are invited from practitioners who work for media organizations based in these countries. The program is designed for early- to mid-career journalists with a demonstrated interest in covering the extractive sectors of oil, gas and minerals. Good management of extractive resources and revenues requires informed, responsive, and dynamic media to provide necessary oversight and inform the public about critical governance issues.

THE TRAINING PROGRAM

The program offers a wide range of benefits: holistic and comprehensive support to journalists through specialized knowledge and skills modules; professional mentoring; experiential learning; reporting grants; prizes for outstanding reporting; access to sources and vital information and data; as well as interaction with peers, experts, policy makers, and oversight actors.

At the core of the training program, originally developed in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation, are two residential courses. The foundation Course A, an Africa regional workshop, will take place in Ghana, on 7-18 SEPTEMBER 2015 at Penplusbytes, Accra. The follow-up Course B will consist of three parallel national workshops in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda. These will take place on dates to be determined later in the year.

Successful applicants will be sponsored and required to commit to and complete all aspects of the training. The program will run for six months and includes a series of individual and collective learning activities and professional support. The training will be delivered in partnership with Penplusbytes in Ghana, Journalists' Environmental Association of Tanzania, and African Centre for Media Excellence in Uganda.

Learn more about the NRGI media program at:
http://www.resourcegovernance.org/publications/fact_sheets/strengthening-media-oversight-extractive-sectors

HOW TO APPLY

As this is a competitive process, priority will be given to reporters submitting the strongest applications, by providing the information requested in the application form. The closing date for receiving applications is 30 JUNE 2015.

APPLY TODAY

 

Journalists to Undergo Training on Reporting on Health using ICTs

Penplusbytes will on Tuesday, June 23rd, provide training for 15 Journalists selected from a cross section of Ghana’s media space on how to effectively deploy ICT tools in covering stories in Ghana’s health sector as a way to increase awareness and to elicit greater responsiveness towards improving health conditions in Ghana. The one day workshop on “Reporting on Health using ICTs” will take place at the New Media Hub in Osu, Ako-Adjei, Accra.

The workshop seeks to build the capacity of the media in the use of ICTs for better health reportage, improve the quality and output of scientific or medical stories backed by data and devise new ways to tell old stories.

The importance of the health sector notwithstanding, coverage is often criticized for being misleading, inaccurate, or speculative. The emergence of new diseases leading to newer medical research activities has led to a steady increase in the availability of health information. This, invariably, affects the behaviors of the recipients of such information with influences on physicians, the general public, and the government. Thus, the need to raise the standards of health reportage in Ghana is even now more critical as global efforts increase to combat emerging new health challenges.

Driven by the need to shore up the capacity of the media to effectively capture and propagate health issues including general healthcare delivery and spending, the workshop is designed to provide knowledge and skills for the participants in identifying sources of data for reporting health stories, undertaking online research, using new digital technologies to tell compelling stories and multimedia publishing.

The Participants are drawn from media organisations including Joy FM, Graphic Communications, Ghana News Agency, Peace FM, Metro TV, TV3, Citi Fm, GBC, Daily Guide, TV AFRICA, ETV and The Sun Newspaper.

Excited by what she stands to gain from the training, Lydia Kukua Asamoah of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) describes it as a ‘necessary intervention’. Adding that “it is an opportunity to sharpen skills and pick up new and effective ways by which mainstream media outlets could better disseminate health information through ICT techniques in order to attract greater responsiveness from duty bearers while achieving the aim of informing citizens”.

ABOUT
Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to empower the media through the use of Information and Communications Technology to advance journalism in the coverage of governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and mining, oil and gas.

 

Enter Now: CAPTURING CORRUPTION: GLOBAL PHOTO COMPETITION

Images have the power to bring about change. They evoke emotion and deliver information that can spur people to action. This is true in the fight against corruption, but capturing the devastating effect that corruption has on people’s lives is hard.

That’s why Transparency International, the Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Anti-Corruption Conference are sponsoring Capturing Corruption, a photography competition that is looking for imaginative and powerful images that show the corrosive effects of corruption.

·         ENTER YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

Capturing Corruption is open to anyone over the age of 18. It will be judged in two categories for photographers aged 18 to 30 years old and for those 31 years of age and over.

The award will be given in remembrance of Jesse Garcia who was a filmmaker and photographer at Transparency International. Jesse was a firm believer in the power of photos and videos in fighting corruption. Sadly, he passed away in 2013, but his work continues to live on.

The winners of both categories will have the chance to take part in an all-expenses paid photojournalism workshop held by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and also will get to travel to the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Malaysia from 2 to 4 September 2015.

Details for the photojournalism workshops have yet to be decided, but there is more than one date available.

There are also cash prizes for runners up and 20 of the top photographs will be published on both the Transparency International website and the Thomson Reuters website.

For information on how to enter, go to our competition page. The deadline is 12 June.