The National Geographic Society (NGS) has launched a call for proposals for an emergency fund to support writers, photographers, videographers, audio journalists, cartographers, filmmakers, and data visualization experts from anywhere in the world who wish to cover COVID-19 within their own communities. The fund places particular emphasis on delivering news to underserved populations, particularly where there is a dearth of evidence-based information getting to those who need it.
Local and even hyper-local distribution models will get special attention as this fund is designed to quickly deliver support so that both individual stories and longer series of the content may be created.
The NGS realizes that in the most difficult of times, journalism can play several roles in supporting communities around the globe. It can, among others, disseminate critical information to keep people safe and informed, it can illuminate stories that bring people hope and remind them of their shared human experience, and it can help them find and share solutions to wicked problems.
This call for proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis but the final deadline for applications is November 15, 2020. The NGS aims to send out decisions every two weeks, though the volume of submissions might slow that process at times.
The fund will give support ranging between $1,000 and $8,000 USD for local coverage of the preparation, response, and impact of this global pandemic as seen through evidence-based reporting. But beyond reporting on medical and physical health issues related to COVID-19, the NGS especially encourages reporting that covers social, emotional, economic and equity issues.
Narratives around the pandemic should include facts and numbers, but ultimately, must also go deeper, telling the stories of inequities that COVID-19 has brought to light.
The National Geographic Society expects journalists to seek placement of this work within their local media ecosystems and attribute their support to the National Geographic Society’s Emergency Fund for Journalists. Applicants do not need to submit any formal commitments of publication or letters of support from editors or publishers. The National Geographic Society or National Geographic Partners may also choose to publish some of this work as part of its global coverage.
Reporting may cover any aspect of the virus and its fallout, including but not limited to:
Social consequences of COVID-19 and measures to contain it, particularly related to equity, such as its impact on immigrant communities, domestic violence, and early childhood education.
Stories of resilience and solutions that could be applied on a regional or global scale.
Novel forms of data visualization or science communication to help communities better understand how to protect themselves.
Lessons learned from local response(s) to COVID-19 that could be applied to other large-scale challenges, such as climate change or the refugee crisis.
Best practices of how educators, students, and schools are reacting to this crisis, particularly as they illuminate under-resourced schools.
Priority should focus on communities at high risk or hit especially hard by the virus, indigenous communities, immigrant or refugee communities, underserved, urban, rural, elderly populations, and children.
Applicants may use up to 100 per cent of their budget as personal reimbursement for their reporting time. The NGS asks that applicants estimate their standard fee for reporting on or creating such content.
It also asks that recipients of this funding prioritize their own health and the communities in which they work. Recognizing that many journalists are accustomed to putting themselves in harm’s way in pursuit of a story, the NGS requests that journalists supported by it to not only consider all precautions to protect themselves but that of the people they are covering as well. It encourages recipients of its funds to follow local, regional, and national guidelines in terms of access for accredited journalists in their region. This guide provides advice for visual and other journalists.
All eligible reporting must be fact-based and accurate and for the best and most up to date COVID-19 resources, interested applicants are encouraged to visit the sites below:
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
Johns Hopkins Map of COVID-19 Cases
The COVID-19 AP Style Guide
All application materials for submission must be written in English, and applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time they submit their application. Normally, the NGSW requires a project start date six months after application submission, but for this fund, immediate start dates are acceptable.
For further information and to apply, please visit https://www.nationalgeographic.org/funding-opportunities/grants/what-we-fund/covid-19-emergency-fund/.
