- Sunderbans, a natural World Heritage Site declared by the UNESCO, is all set to be included in the list of endangered sites as Bangladesh continues to implement a coal power plant project near the mangrove forest.
- India has authorized the clearance of 170,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh’s dense Hasdeo Arand forests for open cast coal mining.
- After Sri Lanka’s electricity production through hydel power dropped due to extreme drought in the region, the country is turning towards thermal power and natural gas projects from Chinese investments.
- Pakistan launched two coal-fired power projects in one of the country’s most backward areas, Thar.
These are some of the news that made front-page headlines this year. As a journalist, did you feel helpless and sick after reading them?
There are even more crucial fossil-fuel news that hardly make as a snippet in one of the corners of newspaper pages.
Being an environment journalist is more than just covering spot reports and publishing announcements made by the governments. And now it is the time to add more power to your reporting by joining our online fellowship for reporting on fossil-fuels.
Climate Tracker is creating a South Asia regional hub englobing India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan that will largely be focusing on bringing attention to major coal and fossil fuel projects. And we are inviting applications for the hub fellowship.
South Asian countries are not only homes to major fossil fuel projects, but also critical windows of influence where journalism can have an impact on public opinion and policy.
We will be helping the fellows with their story ideas, drafting pitches for editors, editing and structuring their stories. Yes, we will be their acting-editors! Apart from this, there will be curated free online courses on energy transitions (for you to learn more about the theories and technicalities at play), webinars (to get lessons and inputs directly from experts) and weekly online meetups where the fellows get to discuss and brainstorm ideas. As a fellow, you can also get access to our workshops, conferences, more opportunities that we will be coming up with.
You can learn and grow in your newsroom by working closely with our dynamic, young, global editorial team.
FAQs
How to apply for the fellowship and join the hub?
Visit app.climatetracker.org
Click on the South Asian reporting opportunity
- Log in to our website (or create a new account)
- Upload your CV
- Give us three links of your published works samples
- Pitch three story ideas that you would like to work on
Am I eligible for the fellowship?
If you are from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal or Afghanistan, and 18-30 years-old, yes you can apply for the fellowship. You need at least 2 years of work experience. But in case you have worked for less than 2 years and have great ideas, please apply anyway.
Also, if you are over 30-years-old and think can fit the bill, we encourage you to apply.
Will I be paid for the work I do?
Every fellow will be given a stipend of USD 50 every month. This amount does not aim at replacing a freelancer’s salary though. We want to make you learn more through our resources and enable you to grow in your field through our courses and tools.
What should I do as part of the fellowship?
You will have to report at least 2 articles every month based on fossil fuels beat and get them published in a local, regional, national or international news organisation. Also, you will have to attend our events (webinars, virtual meetups, workshops, courses).
The deadline for the opportunity is June 24, that’s just a week away! For more queries or collaboration ideas, shoot your doubts to aishwarya@climatetracker.org