Pulitzer Center is offering grants to journalists to cover underreported stories in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Pulitzer Center is seeking proposals to advance wide-reaching and relevant journalism on issues impacting communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Some of these issues will cover water and sanitation, land degradation and coastal erosion, education, maternal health, and climate resilience.

Special emphasis will be placed on projects that inform behaviour and policies that improve the lives of the communities reported on. Local journalists are encouraged to apply.

Details of the grant: With support from the Pulitzer Center, successful journalists have previously reported on the effects of fast fashion on Lesotho, impact of coastal erosion on fishing communities in Ghana, gold laundering in Uganda, and the coming global famines caused by the confluence of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict in Ukraine.

These have been published across a diverse range of news outlets, including international outlets like Science magazine and Al Jazeera, as well as leading African outlets like The Continent and Premium Times.

The Center’s grants also support projects across all media platforms and encourage ambitious proposals that combine print, photography, audio, and/or video for one or more news outlets.

Who can apply? The opportunity is open to journalists and newsrooms around the world. Grants are open to reporters, photographers, radio/audio journalists, television/video journalists, and documentary filmmakers.

• Proposals are also accepted from freelance journalists, staff journalists, or groups of newsrooms working in collaboration with a project idea. The grant will be given to value-driven, data-based, investigative, and accountability journalism projects that tackle systemic issues and hold powerful local figures to account.
• The journalists are to decide what underreported stories the community needs to engage with, and then will be supported by reporting and championing it. This includes creating educational materials and events to expand the reach and conversations around the stories.
• The aim is to make sure that people from many backgrounds and perspectives are empowered to produce journalism.
• The Center strongly encourages proposals from journalists and newsrooms who represent a broad array of underrepresented social, racial, and ethnic groups, as well as economic backgrounds.

Areas the Center does not cover: The Pulitzer Center grants do not however cover the following:

• Books. But a story that might become part of a book can be supported as long as the story is published independently in a media outlet.
• Feature-length films. But short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans can be supported.
• Staff salaries.
• Equipment purchases. However, equipment rentals are considered on a case-by-case basis.
• An outlet’s general expenses, for example rent, utilities, insurance.
• Seed money for startups.
• Routine breaking news and coverage.
• Advocacy/marketing campaigns
• Data projects aimed solely at academic research. Data should be developed to enhance/support journalism.
• More enquiries can be sent here.

How to Apply: Those interested should prepare the following:

• A description of the proposed project in no more than 250 words.
• A preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs.
• A compelling distribution plan, including letters of commitment from news outlets.

Refer here to how your application can be made here.