Apply for a Journalism Story Grant on Inequality in the Philippines

Monday, Nov 15, 2021

Local, regional and national Filipino journalists are invited to send two story pitches each. Those with the best pitches will be given a one-time grant of P25,000 to allow them to pursue, write and publish the two stories for their news organization or partner publication.

We’ll be supporting four local journalists in producing news features that look deeper into societal inequalities experienced by Filipinos during the pandemic:

  • Poverty and hunger
  • Wealth gap
  • Vaccine access
  • Health care
  • Gender inequality (such as gender-based violence or unpaid care work)
  • Climate crisis

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Journalists with at least 3 years of media experience are eligible to apply. They must adhere to ethical standards and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. They must also ensure the quality and accuracy of their stories.

YOUR COMMITMENT FOR THE STORY GRANT:

Grantees will need to produce two (2) news feature articles about inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each article should be 700 to 1,000 words long.

Each article should have 2-3 accompanying photographs taken by the reporter or a photographer supporting the journalist.

The articles should be published in a newspaper and/or a news website. For newspapers, it is okay if only one photograph is published. Freelance journalists may apply but it is preferred that they have the assurance of a news editor that the articles will be published. The published stories should include a note that it was “supported by Oxfam Pilipinas.”

Oxfam Pilipinas must also be allowed to publish the articles in its website, which will then be shared with the rest of Oxfam’s international confederation.

WHAT STORIES ARE WE LOOKING FOR:

Oxfam is a global movement of people fighting poverty and inequality through various humanitarian and development projects. The past year has been unforgettable because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in worsening living conditions for the poor and the vulnerable.

Many Filipinos continue to experience hunger and lack of access to health care. The closing down of borders affected industries, workers and farmers. While many suffer, the privileged few take advantage. There is a lot of inequality in the world, especially in developing countries like the Philippines.

This story grant aims to highlight how exactly Filipinos are affected by these inequalities and what can be done to address them. The stories may also highlight efforts of communities, grassroots organizations and humanitarian organizations like Oxfam.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested journalists must send their CV, portfolio or sample articles and application letter to Oxfam Pilipinas’ Senior Officer for Media and Digital Influencing Kristine Guerrero via e-mail: KGuerrero@oxfam.org.uk.

The application letter should include the pitch for the two stories and the name of the news outlet where the articles will be published.

Applications are on a rolling basis until December 10, 2021. We hope to have the stories published from December 2021 to February 2022.