Professional journalists from developing countries can apply to the Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists for its 2017 fellowship programme. The fellowships offer promising young journalists from developing countries a unique opportunity to observe United Nations deliberations and to report on its proceedings for news media in their home countries.
The Fund has awarded fellowships to hundreds of journalists from developing worlds for over five decades.
The awards require the presence of the selected journalists in New York during the first few months of the General Assembly session and should be regarded as an opportunity for news organizations and journalists to provide their audiences with special assignment news coverage from U.N. headquarters.
The Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists fellowships is available to journalists who meet the following requirements:
- Native of one of the developing countries of Africa, Asia (including Pacific Island nations), Latin America and the Caribbean. For 2017, the Fund will not accept applications from the countries of the 2016 Fellows – Argentina, Indonesia, Iran, and Tajikistan.
- Currently live in and write for media in a developing country.
- Between the ages of 25 and 35.
- Have very good command of English language since United Nations press conferences and many documents are in English only.
- Currently employed as professional journalists for print, television, radio or internet media organizations. Both full-time and freelance journalists are invited to apply.
- Have approval from their media organizations to spend up to three months in New York reporting from the United Nations.
- Receive a commitment from their media organizations that the reports they file during the term of the Fellowship will be used and that they will continue to be paid for their services.
Interested journalists are required to provide the following documents alongside signed applications without which appliccation will not be considered.
- Copies of representative selections of work, such as newspaper clippings, audio tapes, video tapes or internet submissions. The selections must be work produced in 2016 or 2017 and not earlier. Entries with insight and originality will be considered most favourably. Investigative work is welcome. For newspaper clippings not in English, include an English translation or summary. If the reports that applicants wish to submit with their application are posted on the Internet, they are required to provide the url addresses.
- For audio and video tape submissions, applicants are to include a written transcription or a summary in English, even if the originals are in English.
- Video submissions should be in DVD or CD (preferably NTSC) format. Radio applicants should send a CD with MP3 formatted files.
- Signed letters from two individuals who supervised applicants and can comment on their journalism experience and qualifications.
- Endorsement of the Fellowship application from the editor or director of the news organization that presently employs applicants. This endorsement must be originally signed and should:
- Grant a leave of absence from an applicant’s current duties in the event the applicant is awarded a fellowship.
- Agree to continue paying for applicant’s services during the term of the Fellowship and agrees to use the reports the applicant files from the U.N.
- State plans for using the reports filed during the fellowship.
- Summary statement: On a separate sheet of paper, applicant to explain in not less than 300 words why he/she is applying for this fellowship and what he/she expects to gain from the experience.
- Two recent photographs (passport size or larger) place in separate secure envelope and affixed to the front of application. Photos should not be stapled directly to the application form.
- A copy of applicant’s passport without which application will not be considered.
Applicants and/or their employers are required to provide equipment necessary for the applicants to efficiently and effectively report from the United Nations. Such equipment should include a laptop or notebook computer, digital camera (if appropriate), audio/visual recording and equipment needed for transmission, especially for TV.
Selected journalists must be technically prepared to file their news stories over WIFI, whether broadcast or print, and arrive the programme with a wifi-enabled computer.
Applicants are expected to submit all required documentation by post.
Further information and application are available online at United Nations Journalism Fellowships.
