Intajour Fellowship: Journalism in the Digital World

Deadline: 3 May 2013 (12 noon CEST)
Open to: professional journalists from countries where press freedom is restricted or where similar training programs are not available
Fellowship: stipend from Intajour toward course fees and international travel costs. Fellows are accommodated at Intajour’s expense in guesthouses or hotels and receive an adequate meals allowance.

Description

The Intajour Fellowship Program consists of a ten-month-long course called ‘Journalism in the Digital World’ which is comprised of attendance phases as well as e-learning phases. The next fellowship year starts on August 31, 2013. It is a challenging, high-profile program. As Intajour Fellows, journalists from around the world are given an opportunity to update their technical skills and discuss current media ethics issues.

Fellows receive a stipend from Intajour towards course fees and international travel costs. During the attendance phases the Fellows are accommodated at Intajour’s expense in guesthouses or hotels and receive an adequate meals allowance. 

By participating in the ‘Journalism in the Digital World’ program, Fellows acquire skills in the following fields:

  • Investigative research
  • Journalistic forms of presentation on the internet
  • Technical production of web content
  • Filming and editing webvideos
  • Internet security
  • Journalism and ethics: freedom and responsibility in the media
  • Internet politics

The ‘Journalism in the Digital World’ program is a blended-learning program. It consists of five stages: three attendance phases in Germany and two e-learning phases. During their three study stays in Hamburg, Cologne and Berlin, the Fellows intensively acquire new journalistic skills through lectures, practical group work, discussions and visits to innovative working newsrooms, all supported by the teaching staff. These attendance phases are separated by two e-learning phases during which the Fellows put into practice what they learnt at Intajour and work on journalistic assignments as well as participate in so-called webinars (virtual lectures) in their familiar working and living environment at home. The e-learning phase requires an average time commitment of 7 hours a week. After the end of the course, Intajour remains in close contact with its Fellows through its Alumni services.

  • Stage 1:  Start: Attendance phase in Hamburg; 3 weeks from 31 August to 21 September 2013
  • Stage 2: E-learning phase / Fellows study and work in their respective home countries with support via Intajour e-learning platform from 22 September 2013 to 31 January 2014
  • Stage 3: Halftime: Attendance phase in Cologne; 2 weeks from 1 February to 15 February 2014
  • Stage 4: E-learning phase / Fellows study and work in their respective home countries with support via Intajour e-learning platform from 16 February to 25 May 2014
  • Stage 5: Final: Attendance phase in Berlin; 30 May to 8 June 2014

Intajour courses are run by highly specialized lecturers and trainers from Germany and abroad, who have considerable experience with international study groups. Many Intajour lecturers work full-time for publications by Bertelsmann Group’s various divisions, e.g. RTL Group, Gruner + Jahr and Random House, while others have a different background. Intajour attaches great importance to the journalistic expertise of lecturers as well as their experience as educators.

Eligibility

The ‘Journalism in the Digital World’ program is aimed at professional journalists from countries where press freedom is restricted or where similar training programs are not available. Applicants are expected to have demonstrated their journalistic talent as a member of an editorial team or as a freelancer.

Applicants should be interested in the new technical opportunities for doing research and publishing on the Internet. An understanding of the role of independent media in democratic societies is a given. Intajour expects salaried editorial staff to be released for the duration of the attendance phases while continuing to be paid by their employer, and to receive appropriate support from them during the e-learning phases.

Applicants must have a good command of English (reading, writing, speaking) as the whole program is conducted in English. Applicants must be in possession of valid international travel documents.

Application

The application deadline for the 2013/2014 Fellowship Program is May 3, 2013 (12 noon CEST). Full details about application are available HERE. The application and selection process consists of four steps:

  1. To apply, please complete the online application form HERE. If you would like to have a look at the form to familiarize yourself with it, you can download a specimen here as a PDF. The deadline is May 3, 2013. Please note that you must fully complete the application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
  2. References and additional documents: Intajour reviews the general suitability of the applicant on the basis of the information given and the attached letter of recommendation. Once suitability has been determined, further documents such as work samples and references will be requested for submission by mid May 2013. At the same time, references will be requested from the contact persons provided.
  3. Interview: Promising candidates will then be invited for an interview to be conducted either by the Director of Intajour or by Intajour partners in the candidate’s country or region.
  4. Selection: The Intajour Journalism Advisory Council and the Intajour Director will make the final selection of Fellows. The selected journalists will receive a written acceptance letter. Once the selected Fellows have accepted the conditions for participation, the travel documents will be sent to them by post.

For more information please watch the Intajour video and have a look at the Intajour flyer. You may also see the official website HERE for further details.

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