If the answer to either of those questions is yes, you should consider applying for the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence. The Application Form and Guidelines are on the BFJE website.
Each year, 10 journalists are chosen through open competition to receive funding and professional support to conduct in-depth research and write journalistic stories that reveal something new about our world – or that reveal the familiar in a new light.
The theme for this year’s fellowship is FREEDOM. We are open to applications from journalists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Greece and Serbia. Please make sure you send us your application, including your proposal for a story based on this year’s theme, by March 6.
Applicants selected by an independent committee to take part in the fellowship will receive a €2,000 bursary and up to another €2,000 for travel and research expenses. They will also attend international seminars and receive continuous one-to-one mentoring for their stories.
Stories from the programme will be published by BIRN and by prominent regional and international media outlets. The top three stories, as selected by an independent jury, will also receive cash awards.
The Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence was launched in 2007 to promote high-quality, cross-border reporting. The programme provides fellows with financial and editorial support, enabling them to travel, report and write their stories and develop their journalistic skills.
Aimed at promoting the development of a robust and responsible press, the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence has evolved into a signature programme that has helped shape journalistic standards across the Balkans while boosting the careers of participating reporters.