Fundable story, project ideas for women journalists

Lekan Otufodunrin writes on the opportunity for women journalists to get funds for story and project ideas citing The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists by the International Women Media Foundation (IWMF).

To survive as a journalist in the present disrupted media landscape requires more than being able to write or produce a programme.

With many media organisations laying off staff and organisations unable to fund good story ideas and projects, individual journalists, more than ever before need to be able to get support for their work.

They should be able to conceive innovative and fundable stories and projects by media support organisations.

They must be able to pitch new concepts in using the media to make more impact on the audience and back it up with a reasonable budget.

Since January 2020, the International Women Media Foundation has launched The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists, said to be the first funding initiative of its kind, “to dramatically expand its support of women journalists.”

Established with a $4 million gift from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Fund will support projects including educational opportunities, investigative reporting and media development initiatives with applications accepted on a rolling basis for consideration within three weeks.

We reproduce below some of the past and present projects funded by IWMF to give women journalists ideas about the projects they can pitch for the grant.

READ ALSO: HOW TO PITCH FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING GRANTS 

Multimedia web project about students in Northeastern Nigeria

Rahima Gambo is awarded a grant to pursue a multimedia web project about students in Northeastern Nigeria, who have been impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. She will also participate in Hostile Environments & Emergency First-Aid Training (HEFAT). Gambo is a freelance visual journalist based in Abuja, Nigeria. She was a 2014 Magnum Foundation fellow and her images can be seen in The New York Times, Time Lightbox, Leadership Newspaper, The Nation Newspaper, City Limits and other media outlets.

Educating women journalists in Kenya on online journalism

Beatrice Obwacha is a Kenyan journalist and Online Subeditor for the Nation Media Group. Previously, she previously worked with Standard Group Limited as a reporter and online sub-editor. The IWMF funded Obwacha’s project that educates women journalists in Kenya on online journalism, which will involve in-depth training on writing for the web, multimedia, and social media.

Radio pieces on the phenomenon of the world’s fast-growing ageing population.

Karen Lowe was awarded a grant for her project “The Age Bomb, a series of radio pieces on the phenomenon of the world’s fast-growing ageing population. Karen has reported for This American Life, worked as the foreign editor at Marketplace Radio and was a reporter and editor for Agence France-Presse. She is the Creator and Executive Producer of Bending Borders, a radio and multimedia production project that connects people from around the world through shared human experiences.

Outcomes of the Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition

Jane Hu is an American independent journalist reporting on stories at the intersection of science, gender, and society. She was selected as a 2014 AAAS Mass Media Fellow and 2016 Open Notebook Early Career Fellow, and her work has appeared in publications like Slate, the Atlantic, Outside, Science, and NBC News, among others. The IWMF has funded Hu’s project on the outcomes of the Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition, an expedition of 11 European and Middle Eastern women who plan to ski to the North Pole. The expedition seeks to shatter gender and racial stereotypes and to collect much-needed data on how women’s bodies adapt to extreme environments.

multimedia project “Starting Anew Away From Home,”

Carole Alfarah is a Syrian independent photographer based in Spain. The IWMF funded Alfarah’s multimedia project “Starting Anew Away From Home,” which follows Syrian refugees as they resettle in Europe.

Creating positive social change through digital media, women empowerment, and entrepreneurship

Brenda Wambui is a Kenyan journalist whose reporting focuses on creating positive social change through digital media, women empowerment, and entrepreneurship. Wambui is the co-founder and CEO of Brainstorm Africa, an online media organization whose mission is to address the need for critical thought in Kenya and throughout Africa. The IWMF funded Wambui’s project, Otherwise? which is a weekly podcast discussing Kenya’s most important recent news and impact.

Inheritance for women across different parts of Nigeria

[The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists] gave me the opportunity to report in-depth on a single issue, the way I never thought I could. I explored the issue of inheritance for women across different parts of Nigeria, digging up untold stories of women suffering disinheritance as a form of violence against women. The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists has led to career opportunities in the past year. I was appointed the supervisor of the team producing the top morning programme on my station.

Ehizogie Uwa Ohiani (2017)

Web app showcasing the male-to-female ratio of business leaders

The IWMF Howard G. Buffett fund grant has changed my life. It made my idea of a web app showcasing the male-to-female ratio of business leaders by company possible and gave me the vote of confidence I needed to keep going as an entrepreneur and journalist. Before this, LedBetter was just a dream and a spreadsheet. Now, we have the resources to create a beautiful online tool that will hopefully educate thousands of people on gender equality and inequality at the brands they buy. The grant has helped me step up as a leader and take charge of creating something impactful.

Iris Kuo (2015, Round 1)

Indeed, for women journalists who have any project idea, they want to implement, or professional development opportunity they have always wanted to pursue? IWMF Fund for Women Journalists is a good option to consider submitting an application for.

There are also other media support organisations that have grants journalists can pitch their ideas to and get funded.

For more details on the requirements to apply for the IWMF grant  click

To read more about grantees and funded project click