Each year, the Heinrich Böll Foundation sponsors a select number of journalists from the US and Europe for a five-day transatlantic trip to research stories relevant to the foundation’s work on climate and energy policy, democracy and social policy, or foreign and security policy.
The Transatlantic Media Fellowships support well-researched transatlantic journalism. Fellowships are selected annually and are open to journalists in any medium.
ISSUE AREAS
Please apply for one of the following issue areas:
Climate & Energy Policy
We ask applicants in this category to pitch stories on climate and energy policy, for example, related to energy transition, low carbon economy, green mobility, climate policy on a local level, phase-out of coal, just transition and economic development in coal communities. Research can be conducted in either the US or Europe.
Democracy & Social Policy
We ask applicants in this category to pitch stories related to the following issues:
- Undercovered stories on migration in Europe: We are looking for stories and perspectives on immigrants, refugees, and migration and asylum policy that are not well covered. Of particular interest are the unique challenges facing vulnerable groups, like the elderly, people with disabilities, women, unaccompanied minors, and LGBTQ individuals.
- Challenges to democracy in Eastern Europe: We seek stories about the challenges to democratic governance and to vibrant democratic societies in Eastern Europe. Topics could include hostile media environments, shrinking spaces for civil society, growth of populist movements and parties, growing anti-immigrant sentiment, as well as other relevant challenges. Countries of particular focus are Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Croatia.
- Confronting history: Germany has long had a unique approach to confronting the crimes of the Holocaust, but it is only slowly facing its colonial history. In light of the events in Charlottesville and difficult discussions in the US about the history of slavery and civil rights, we are looking for reporting on how Europe and the US are confronting these darker chapters of their histories. We are interested in the perspectives of civil society and policymakers, and in issues of memorialization and museum curation, reparations, civic and public education, and broader efforts at national reckoning.
- Other: Is there a major challenge to both US and European democracies that you think should be covered? Pitch it, tell us why it’s important and relevant to our work, and we’ll take it into consideration.
Foreign & Security Policy
We ask applicants in this category to pitch stories related to the following questions:
- Perceptions of Russia in the neighboring states: We seek reporting on how the different perceptions and views on Russia polarize societies throughout Europe. Countries of particular interest are the Baltic states, Finland, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Armenia.
- The discourse on European border security: Reporting for this topic could, for example, focus on old and new migration routes to Europe, and/or how individual EU member states deal with their border management. Research should be conducted within the EU.
- Implications of the ongoing tensions with Russia: We are looking for stories on how the ongoing tensions with Russia have affected renewed discussions on various topics in Europe, such as compulsory military service, stronger efforts in cybersecurity, or increased support for a common European defense policy in the EU member states. Research should be conducted within the EU.
WHAT WE OFFER
The Heinrich Böll Foundation offers a stipend of $3,500 that is partially paid in advance to cover the travel costs related to the project and partially paid after completion of the reporting.
WHO CAN APPLY
We seek journalists with a strong track record of publications, working in any medium, who offer new perspectives on transatlantic policy debates.
We will give special consideration to journalists:
- from regional or local media outlets who can demonstrate that transatlantic reporting is a new and important perspective for their audience
- whose story ideas would be informative for regional or local policy debates
- from diverse backgrounds who can offer lesser-heard perspectives
- who may not otherwise have the opportunity to conduct transatlantic research
Applicants for Foreign & Security Policy and Democracy & Social Policy should be based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting on the European Union and its neighboring countries.
Applicants for Climate & Energy Policy can be based in the US and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting on the European Union and/or Turkey OR be based in an EU member state and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting on the US.
Note: We do not require fellows to be citizens of either the US or the EU; however, fellows are responsible for securing their own visas, if necessary. We can provide a letter of support for the visa application process.
WHAT'S EXPECTED
Reporting: Each fellow is expected to publish content from their trip in any print or online medium no later than October 31, 2018. Reporting can be in the form of one longer, investigative piece, three shorter articles, or multimedia content (i.e., podcasts, videos, or photo essays).
Publication: Fellows must be able to either guarantee the publication of their pieces or to provide us with documentation of a completed story ready for publication. Fellows should demonstrate a strong track record of publications and/or media productions and should highlight this in their application.
Crediting the Foundation: Fellows (and/or their employers) will retain full editorial control over the reporting but should credit the foundation for supporting their research. The Heinrich Böll Foundation retains the right to feature the final pieces on its website following their publication, either as an excerpt or in its complete form. In cases where publication with a media outlet cannot be secured, articles may be published on the website of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Active social media engagement: While traveling and developing their stories, fellows are expected to actively engage with the Heinrich Böll Foundation over Facebook (facebook.com/hbfus),Twitter (@boell_us), and/or Instagram (@boell_us)
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please read the application instructions carefully before submitting your application. We will not consider incomplete applications. A complete application consists of:
- Resume: Please use a standard US format. This means no picture, date of birth, marital or familial status, etc.
- Cover Letter: A one-page document outlining your motivation, qualifications and experience.
- Proposal: Please include the following three sections:
- Story proposals: Please include a short description the stories you plan to cover (about 200 words each). You do not need to have interviews confirmed, but you should indicate whom you plan to contact. Please also specify the language of publication, medium, audience, and plans for publication.
- Travel Itinerary: Please outline your dates of travel, destinations, and possible interviews in each location. Travel should be for a minimum of 5 days and must be completed by July 31, 2018.
- Social Media Engagement: Briefly explain how you plan to engage with the Heinrich Böll Foundation in the course of your fellowship.
- Work samples: Please submit two work samples. If your previous work is not in English, German, Spanish, or French, please provide a brief summary of each of your work samples.
Click here to submit your application.
The application deadline is midnight EST on March 15, 2018. We strongly encourage early applications.
For questions and inquiries, please contact Alexander Nasserjah at Alexander.Nasserjah@us.boell.org