Perspektivy is a joint initiative by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Fritt Ord Foundation. Perspektivy is a professional development programme for journalists and editors from Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The new digital era of media, and the globalisation of economic and political processes have brought new challenges to journalism. In particular, they have highlighted the need for journalists to develop international professional networks in order to understand regional characteristics and better cover transnational stories.

To reflect the needs of journalists Perspektivy is opening a scheme that aims to connect journalists in cross-border collaboration.

Journalists will be offered distance mentoring and seminars to help them to produce insightful stories. Perspektivy will cover participants’ costs for research trips as part of the project.

This is an opportunity for journalists in the early stages of their career looking for the chance to develop their skills in international reporting and enhance their professional network abroad.

Working in teams, journalists can produce joint or individual work. These stories can be on any topic, as long as they draw on examples from outside of their home country. For example, refugee and migrant crisis, climate changes, food products and its export/import, media, civil society etc. Other ideas are welcome.

Journalists may apply as part of a team, or individually, and allow Perspektivy mentors to match them up with another journalist.

However, all journalists must apply with a well thought through story idea.

This scheme will involve the following activities:
· 29-30 April 2016. A two day workshop in Moscow, where teams can meet up with Perspektivy mentors to discuss ideas, work on story angles and plan a road-map forward.
· 1 May 2016 – 24 June 2016. A mentoring phase, where the teams will work remotely with experienced mentors and senior journalists as they work on producing their stories.
· Each team can undertake travel or research to train skills in producing cross-border story. Costs for those practical exercise in the format of research trip will be covered by the programme.
· 25-26 June 2016. A two day review session where the teams meet again to finalize their pieces and discuss them with mentors and journalists on the scheme.
· 30 June 2016 approximate date of publishing stories.

Although production of stories is the ultimate outcome, the responsibility for the publication or dissemination of them rests with the journalists and their professional editors. Perspektivy does not exercise editorial control.

Eligibility criteria:
· The working language of the programme is Russian.
· This scheme is open to journalists working for media in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Baltic and the Caucasus.
· Journalists must apply with a story idea that transcends a national border.
· Applicants must be professional journalists with a minimum of three years working experience.

Applications are now open. You are welcome to apply for the programme until 10 April 2016 by filling out the application form. Results will be announced on 15 April 2016 by the e-mails you provided in your application form.

Please note that the size of any uploaded files must not exceed 5 MB.

Click here to begin the application.

Call for applications: Russian text (pdf)

Contact in Norway:
Bente Roalsvig, Project Director and Deputy Director of the Fritt Ord Foundation, mobile: +47 916 13340, e-mail: bente.roalsvig@frittord.no