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 borders. 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 recommened 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.

However, all candidates must apply with a well thought through story idea and list of probable costs.

Successful candidates will receive professional mentoring, assistance for research trips arrangements and reimbursement of costs for those trips. 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:

• 4-5 March 2017. A two days workshop, where teams can meet up with Perspektivy mentors to discuss ideas, work on story angles and plan a road-map forward.
• 6 March 2017 – 21 April 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 undertake short-term travel or research trip to collect information for their cross-border story. Costs of this research trip will be reimbursed by the programme.

• 22-23 April 2017. A two days review session where the teams meet again to finalise their pieces and discuss them with mentors and journalists on the scheme.
• 15 May 2017 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 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 and the Caucasus.

Applicants must be professional journalists, freelancers, bloggers at the early to mid point of their, career with 3-15 years professional work experience.

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

Applications are now open.

You are welcome to apply for the programme until 12 February 2017 by filling out the application form. You will be asked to attached examples of your work and letter of editorial support. Please note that the size of any uploaded files must not exceed 5 MB.

Click here to begin the application >

Results will be announced on 20 February 2017 between 18:00 – 19:00 Moscow time using the e-mails you provide in your application form.

Perspektivy is a joint initiative by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Fritt Ord Foundation.

More about the project:

Read on Mentor’s blog on results of seasons 2016 >

Read on feedback of participant and results of season 2016 >

Read on results of seasons 2015 >

FAQ section >

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