US$1M Grant For Storytelling African Issues

A new $1 million program of reporting grants for African journalists was launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday May 26 during the African Union 50th anniversary celebrations.

The African Story Challenge will award over 100 reporting grants for stories on development issues. The new competition will offer journalists grants to support investigative, multimedia and data-driven stories that aim to improve health and prosperity across the continent.

The Story Challenge is a project of the African Media Initiative (AMI), the continent’s largest association of media owners and operators. AMI content development director and Knight International Journalism Fellow Joseph Warungu, is leading the project.

The Knight Fellowships are administered by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

AMI Chief Executive Amadou Mahtar Ba added, “It is essential to encourage and reward African journalists and news organizations that go the extra mile to deliver high-quality digital news and information to promote transparency, accountability and a higher quality of life for our citizens. We can reboot journalism in Africa by incentivizing stories that count.”

An international panel of editors and media experts will judge the entries. Contest details are available at africanstorychallenge.com and on the websites of AMI, ICFJ and the International Journalists’ Network (IJNet).

The African Story Challenge is supported by an $800,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The programme also has support from the African Development Bank and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra).