Call for Proposals for Amazon Rainforest Journalism Funds and COVID-19

In response to worrying trends regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the Amazon region, the Amazon Rainforest Journalism Fund (RJF) and the Pulitzer Center are opening a new call for grant applications.

Journalists, editors, and independent media organizations are invited to submit a proposal for a digital, collaborative news project that will shed light on the intersection of COVID-19, deforestation, and other critical issues in the region.

The project should highlight local voices and have a strong distribution plan, reaching diverse audiences and leveraging digital media, social networks, and media partnerships.

There should be a coordinating entity responsible for managing and editing information, and for facilitating efficient, collaborative journalism with minimal travel and based on trustworthy sources.

Topic

Proposals should address the intersection of COVID-19, deforestation, land-grabbing, and other critical issues in the Amazon.

There should be a linkage between at least one of the key topics covered by the RJF:

The tropical forests’ role in the overall climate equation and weather patterns globally, regionally, and locally, and the resulting consequences for human life and living conditions (in broad terms) caused by deforestation
Deforestation drivers (in broad terms)
Solutions to halt deforestation (in broad terms)
Eligibility Criteria

Independent and staff journalists, newsrooms, and independent news organizations working with any media (print, multimedia, radio, TV broadcast, etc.) are welcome to apply.
Applicants can be of any nationality but should be based in the Amazon region. If a team or newsroom is applying, the team lead should be the main applicant.
The review committee will prioritize teams/applicants with demonstrated experience in successful collaborative, transboundary projects in the region, and with a clear interest in urgent and under-reported issues in the Amazon.
Teams should involve local or Indigenous, quilombola, or ribeirinho communicators and journalists who may be isolated in their communities.

Applications can be received in Spanish, Portuguese, or English. Reporting and publication may be done in any language(s).
The review committee will select a limited number of projects meeting the proposal criteria, with priority given to one project for Portuguese-language audiences and another for Spanish-language audiences.

Criteria

Proposed projects should:

Be innovative and leverage digital media;
Involve collaboration, including local and/or Indigenous, quilombola, or ribeirinho journalists;
Have a strong and wide distribution, including media partnerships and a social media strategy to reach a diverse audience;
Demonstrate attention to editing, reporting, and safety standards (for example, avoiding travel and implementing preventative health measures for journalists and communities);
Include a plan for aggregating information for easy access and/or embedding by media partners and the broader public (e.g., live blog, scrolling page, etc.). Projects may involve data journalism (in-depth analysis and visualization); digital, multimedia storytelling (audio slideshows, photo essays, video stories, infographics, etc.); AMP stories; long-form scrolly-telling; 360-degree visuals, AR or VR; crowd reporting; or live blogs.

Apply by 20th June.