Reporting grants available for Ugandan journalists

The African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) is pleased to invite Ugandan journalists to start applying for grants to support ambitious story projects that require more than the regular newsroom facilitation to pull off. Some Shs63 million has been earmarked to support public affairs reporting in 2014 alone. ACME has appointed a selection panel that will sit once every quarter (roughly three months) to select winners from the submitted story proposals. This panel will sit for the first time in early June 2014 to select 18 winners. Print, electronic, photography and radio journalists across Uganda are therefore encouraged to apply in time for the June selection. Story proposals should fall under at least one of the 12 priority areas listed in the table below.

•  Agriculture
• Education
• Energy
• Health
• Justice, law and order
• Land and property rights
• Local government
• Oil, gas and mining
• Parliament
• Science and technology
• Transport infrastructure and public works Water and environment

These grants are intended for journalists with demonstrated ability to pursue and accomplish ambitious reporting projects. However, ACME’s network of mentors (senior journalists) will be available to offer guidance to grantees who seek it. All grantees will attend a one-day seminar during which they will work with ACME to refine their story ideas and reporting approaches as well as be informed on the accounting requirements related to the grant. Each journalist who receives a grant will be expected to produce and broadcast/publish the proposed in-depth story within six weeks from receipt of the money. Each reporting project will be supported with up to Shs1,750,000.