The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) is proud to announce the launch of a Fellowship program that will send journalists to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban (COP17) in late 2011.

The Fellowships are open predominantly to journalists from developing countries, but journalists from the US and Russia are also welcome to apply.

Formed in 2007 by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN), Panos London and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the CCMP has brought developing country journalists to the annual UN climate summits over the past four years.

This has enabled them to cover the summit for their home media organizations, work with experienced and knowledgeable journalists from around the world, and gain a multifaceted understanding of climate change’s global impact. Numerous regional organizations also play a supporting role in the partnership.

As part of the fellowships, the CCMP will cover travel, lodging and daily subsistence expenses, arrange press accreditation at COP17, and provide other support services. The Fellows will benefit from a series of specially designed activities, including an orientation session, breakfast briefings, a field trip and a media clinic.

The CCMP fully respects the editorial independence of all journalists. Throughout the conference, Fellows are free to report as they see fit. We do require that Fellows attend the entire summit, provide copies or summaries of all the stories they file during COP17 for posting on our websites and that they show collegial attitude towards other Fellows. One of the main benefits of this program will be the opportunity for Fellows to exchange views and information with their journalistic peers from around the world.

Fellowship applications open June 6, 2011 and close June 30, 2011 at midnight EDT. All journalists working for media in a developing country, the US or Russia are eligible to apply.

Traditionally, we have only welcomed journalists from developing countries, but due to the challenges of reporting on climate change in the US and Russia, and the availability of funding for Fellows from these countries, we are opening this year’s Fellowships to US and Russian journalists, as well.

Criteria for evaluating applicants will include the prospective Fellow’s demonstrated interest in climate change issues; their audience; and the ability of the Fellowship to provide an opportunity for those journalists who might not otherwise have a chance to cover such events.

At the moment, we only have sufficient funding to bring a small number of Fellows, but are actively working to increase our support in order to increase those numbers. In addition to selecting Fellows whom we hope to announce in September, therefore, we’ll also create a waitlist from which we can select additional journalists as more funding becomes available.

Although we expect there will be a diverse range of experience and regions represented among the Fellows, one goal of this program is to reach audiences – particularly marginalized communities – who are currently underserved when it comes to climate information.

Any queries may be submitted to ccmp@internews.org. Initial funding for this program is provided by private US foundations, including the Kendeda Fund and the Smart Family Foundation.

Applicants will be required to:
• Complete and submit an online application form before the 30 June 2011 deadline.
• Provide a support letter from their editor, producer, or supervisor

[Note: Freelance journalists are welcome to apply, but must provide a letter of support indicating that their stories will be published or broadcast]

• Provide two samples of their work, published within the last 12 months
• Have a valid passport that will not expire before June, 2012