F.Y.I.

The Walkley Foundation offers grants for freelance journalists

The Walkley Foundation is offering a series of grants for freelance journalists

The announcement:

$50,000 Walkley Grants for Freelance Journalists now open

“The Walkley Foundation has announced a new series of grants for journalism totalling $50,000, financed by the Walkley Public Fund for Journalism. Australian freelance journalists—as individuals or small groups—can apply for funding to support the production of public interest journalism either for a single story, or journalistic project.

“The Walkley Foundation values the craft of journalism; in this time when newsrooms are under intense pressure, there’s a genuine fear that important stories in the public interest may go unreported,” Walkley Foundation Chief Executive Louisa Graham said.

“We know that more journalists than ever are working as freelancers, without the traditional support of a newsroom. Thanks to those who’ve supported our Public Fund, we can now channel resources directly to freelance journalists to report stories in the public interest that might otherwise not be told. And in turn those stories can find a home with Australian publishers.

“This is the first time we have provided these grants to fund public interest reporting,” Ms Graham said. “With further philanthropic support, we hope to continue them each year.”

“Stories may be pitched on any topic, in any format (including investigations, news stories or features, but not essays or opinion) and on any media platform (including text, photojournalism,
data journalism, podcast, video, illustration and multi-platform projects).

“Grants from $2,500 to $10,000 will be awarded to cover reporting costs directly related to the project, which may include reporters’ time, travel, research and support. The judges are seeking
stories that make an impact, and distribution is critical to that: applicants should be clear about who their intended audience is, what they will learn and how the story can reach them.

“Successful projects will be published by the end of 2019 in the Walkley Magazine online under a Creative Commons licence, in addition to co-publishing with any publications the applicant has
organised.”

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