Aga Khan University/Facebook Mobile Video Journalism Fellowship 2020

Application Deadline:January 31, 2020, at 23:59 EAT.

The Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (AKU-GSMC), in partnership with Facebook, is excited to introduce The Mobile Video Journalism Fellowship –an initiative that aims to bolster digital skills in journalism to increase the production of Kenyan stories captured through high-quality mobile video. Do you have an eye for a good story? Are you a tech-savvy smartphone user? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment? Are you interested in using mobile journalism to shape the future of media in East Africa?

This fellowship program is designed to train qualified storytellers on digital mobile journalism and attach them to local Kenyan newsrooms over a six month period.

Selected fellows will be placed as staff (paid by stipend) with Kenyan media houses where they will use smartphones to tell their stories. They will be tasked with conducting hands-on investigative journalism and creating relevant digital content. Additionally, fellows will be required to participate in various boot camps and workshops on selected weekends. This experience is designed to improve your skills in storytelling with data, mobile editing, and mobile journalism.

While formal education is not a prerequisite for selection, the applicant must demonstrate knowledge or experience in journalism, media, communications, video production or related field(s). This fellowship is intended to equip storytellers with mobile journalism skills, and promote the use of digital mobile journalism to share their content. We are looking for applicants who have displayed some experience in video journalism whether formal, informal, freelance, or contract. Please review the content on the links below for examples of the types of video journalism stories we are interested in supporting:

Example 1 – Hashtag our stories: Journalism in Action

Example 2 – Hashtag Our Stories – The Peace Club For South Sudanese Refugees

Example 3 – AJ Plus on Nigerian Oil: Nigerian Oil and the Disappearing Money | Start Here

Example 4 – UN Hashtag:   Water Filters Help Refugees From Myanmar. By Hashtag Our Stories #ACT4SDGs

Selected fellows must be available to work full-time in Nairobi, Kenya during the months of March 2020 through August 2020.

Requirements

Candidates should be 21 years of age and older.

Benefits

This fellowship pays a monthly gross stipend (beginning in March 2020) of USD $600 provided by The Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications. Note that the fellowship will end in August, 2020 and stipends will not be paid after this date.

Applications open from January 21, 2020 to January 31, 2020, at 23:59 EAT. The application process involves the following three steps:

1. Personal information
2. Four short-answer question responses:

1. 1. Please share your reasons or inspiration for applying for this fellowship. (max 150 words)  
   2. What is your vision for the future of journalism and mobile storytelling? (max 150 words)
   3. Please share one recent online news story (either hard or soft/entertainment) that was impactful to you, and explain why. Also provide the link if available. (max 100 words)
   4. If you could take a friend on a walk or drive anywhere in Kenya for 3 hours, where would you take them and what stories or experiences would you share? (max 250 words)
2. Two submissions:
3. 1. Resume/CV
   2. One video you have created within the past six months that will be assessed on aspects of storytelling ability, creativity, relevance, and quality. This video can include, but is not limited to social media content, professional content, news content, entertainment content, travel content, etc.

All applications must be submitted using the form below. Incomplete applications, applications received after the deadline, or applications sent through another method will not be considered.

Please note that there is no application fee at any stage of the selection process. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted. *Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email no later than February 14, 2020.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Aga Khan University/Facebook Mobile Video Journalism Fellowship 2020