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 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 and bloggers from Russia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Baltics or the Caucasus will have the opportunity to work together to produce stories through partnership and collaboration that transcend their national border. Participants 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.

The “Cross-Border journalism” programme is an opportunity for journalists and bloggers in the early and mid stages of their career looking for the chance to develop their skills in international reporting and enhance their professional network abroad.

Working in teams, participants 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 crises, climate changes, food production and its export/import, media, or civil society. Other ideas are welcome.

Candidates may apply as part of a team, or individually, and allow Perspektivy mentors to match them up with another journalist. Priority will be given to team applications where participants represent different countries and media outlets. For individual applicants in addition to story idea we recommend to give us a list of topics and areas of their journalistic interests for we could invite successful individual candidates to become a part of other project teams. For team application each member of the team have to fill in application form individually though list other members of a team in the same field of application where the story idea described.

However, all candidates must apply with a well thought through story idea, and list of probable costs, and list of potential members of a team or at least mention those countries from which they would like journalists to work with on a story development.

Successful candidates will receive professional mentoring, assistance for research trips arrangements and reimbursement of costs for those trips. Perspektivy does not practice paying honorariums. Travel costs, accommodation and per diem for both programme launch and closing 2-days seminars will also be covered by the programme.

This programme will involve the following activities

• 28-29 October 2017. A two days workshop in Kishinev, where teams can meet up with Perspektivy mentors to discuss ideas, work on story angles and plan a road-map forward.

• 30 October 2017 – 15 December 2017. A mentoring phase, where the participants return to their home destinations and continue work remotely with experienced mentors and senior journalists as they work on producing their stories.

• Each team can choose most convenient time from the mentoring phase period to undertake short-term research trip to collect information for their cross-border story. Travel costs and per diem will be reimbursed by the programme.

• 16-17 December 2017. A two days review session in Almaty where the teams meet again to finalise their pieces and discuss them with mentors and journalists on the scheme.

• 15 January 2018 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

• Journalists, freelancers, bloggers must apply with a story idea that transcends a national border.

• Priority will be given to those team applications where participants of the team are from different countries and media outlets

• This scheme is open to journalists, freelancers, bloggers producing stories in Russian for Russian-language media outlets and professionally based in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Baltic states, and the Caucasus.

• Applicants must be professional journalists, freelancers, bloggers at the early to mid point of their, career with a minimum of three years work experience.

• The working language of the programme is Russian. No translation at any point will be provided.

The application deadline is 1 October 2017. Apply by filling out this application form.

You will be asked to provide examples of your work and letter of editorial support. Please note that the size of any uploaded files must not exceed 5 MB.

Results will be announced on 10 October 2017 at 19:00 Moscow time using the e-mails applicants provided in their application form. Perspektivy organizers do not comment on results of selection.

For further updates please follow us on Facebook @perspektivymedia.

• Read a review of the cross-border project development.
• Read about the results of the 2016 season and the 2017 season on the Mentor’s blog.
• Read feedback from the participants and results of the 2016 season.
• Read about the results of the 2015 season
• FAQ section