Announcing U.S. Russian Journalism Co-Reporting Project, deadline April 22

Interesting opportunity. -mia

The Eurasia Foundation is calling for story ideas in a unique effort to document common social challenges faced by both the United States and Russia. Follow the link here, or have a read of the press release below. Latitude News is co-running the project – we’re eager for your pitches!

http://www.usrussiacivilsociety.org/news/us-russian-journalism-coreporting-announcement

Nominations Sought For U.S.-Russian Journalism Co-Reporting Project; Winners To Be Awarded Ipads

Washington/Moscow Eurasia Foundation is calling for story ideas in a unique effort to document common social challenges faced by both the United States and Russia.

The “Common Stories Project” is the outgrowth of a two-year effort by Eurasia Foundation to foster collaboration among civil-society initiatives in both countries.  Stories produced collaboratively by editors, writers and news organizations in both countries on a single topic will be edited for publication by the Missouri School of Journalism’s “Global Journalist.”

The project is part of the US-Russia Civil Society Partnership Program (CSPP) of the Eurasia Foundation, reports Maria Balinska, a former longtime BBC journalist and editor now based in Boston with the journalism startup Latitude News.  Balinska is the U.S. coordinating editor for Common Stories.

The Russian coordinating editor of the project is media consultant Veronika Menjoun, who has been working as a course leader and project manager at Sweden’s FOJO, the Institute for Advanced Training of Journalists for 16 years.

“Our two-country journalism task force was looking for a way to contrast and compare through storytelling the issues both countries face,” says Balinska. “This is a chance, with the assistance of skilled translators and editors, to explore these and other topics as they emerge.”

Balinska said the project now seeks pitches for “feature stories with legs in both countries about collaboration between the United States and Russia” that fall within the scope of the CSPP’s eleven working groups.  Those themes include anti-corruption, child protection, community development, education and youth, environmental protection, gender equity, higher education, human rights and rule of law, media and access to information, migration and public health. Pitches could, for example, focus on how the two countries are dealing with the problems of smoking cessation, domestic violence, obesity or waste management.

Interested parties are asked to send a brief proposal (300 words or less) to csppmedia@gmail.com by Monday, April 22, 2013. The proposal should include a story idea, as well as:

  • Contact information and a resume or CV of the principal applicant
  • Where the reporting would be carried out in the United States
  • What the applicant would be looking for from a Russian partner
  • Where the applicant would propose to publish or broadcast the piece in addition to the Global Journalist.

The program is designed to highlight the potential for more systematic collaboration.  While it does not provide financial remuneration, it will award an iPad to those four participants deemed by an expert panel to have produced the most outstanding work.

About CSPP

The Russia-US Civil Society Partnership Program promotes collaboration between Russian and U.S. non-government organizations, with the aim of improving the lives of citizens of both countries. Program participants design innovative recommendations through CSPP’s Working Groups. CSPP is funded and implemented by Eurasia Foundation, in partnership with New Eurasia Foundation.

The Mass Media and Access to Information Working Group is co-chaired by Anna Koshman, Director, Russian Association of Independent Regional Publishers, and Howard Finberg, Director of Interactive Learning, Poynter Institute.

 

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