What are the IRP group reporting trips?
Several times a year, up to 12 journalists will be awarded grants to travel as a group to an important but under-covered country in the news.
How do I apply?
All candidates must fill out an application form on which they should describe the stories they would pursue during the trip. Currently, we are not accepting group reporting trip applications.
How does “group reporting” work?
All fellows are required to attend and participate in the sessions arranged for the group; much of the value of a trip comes from those meetings, as well as the interactions the fellows have with each other. Fellows are not required to collaborate with each other on stories, though they may if they wish to do so. Some independent reporting time is also built into our schedule for each fellow to pursue stories related to the trip’s themes on their own, and fellows may extend their stay after the trip. However, if you prefer to have more flexibility in your reporting schedule, we strongly encourage you to apply for our individual reporting fellowships.
May teams of two or three apply for a trip together?
We do not accept applications from reporting teams on the group trips. However, you may apply separately, or you may consider applying as a team for our individual fellowships.
What types of activities do the trips include?
Fellows meet with key government officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, members of the business community, religious leaders, members of the local media, and local citizens, among others.
How long does the trip last?
IRP’s reporting trips last about two weeks.
Who is eligible?
It depends on the trip; read each announcement closely to learn who is eligible in each case. For the southern Africa trip, we only considered applications from citizens or residents of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Are freelancers or unaffiliated journalists eligible for the program?
Yes.
Do my stories have to be in English?
We encourage fellows to publish their work in English, but other languages are also acceptable. The application, however, must be in English.
What costs of the trip does the International Reporting Project cover?
The IRP purchases fellows’ round-trip air tickets to the destination and pay for hotel costs, meals and local transportation. Fellows not based in the U.S. have to arrange their own visas, but the IRP reimburses them for the visa costs. Fellows who wish to stay on in a country after the end of the program arrange that at their own expense. Each fellow is responsible for paying the costs of his or her passport and immunization fees.
Do journalists produce stories from the trip?
Yes, this is a working trip. IRP supports the work of many different types of media professionals, so there is no single story format we favor. In the past, work produced from these trips has ranged from long-form pieces to frequent blog posts and social media updates to other forms, including articles, slideshows, video, audio, infographics, interactive stories and more.
What topics are covered on the trips?
Each trip explores a different topic. Our trip to southern Africa will focus on health and development, including research and development, infectious and neglected tropical diseases, and water and sanitation, among other important topics.
Who owns the stories produced during a trip?
All of the content produced by the fellows is co-owned by the IRP and the selected journalists, unless he or she has a different relationship with his or her publisher. All material (subject to editorial review) would be posted on the IRP site, along with links to other organizations where the work of the IRP fellows appear. In addition, the works produced during the trips are distributed through the social media channels of the IRP’s funders.
Where does funding for the trips come from?
The IRP does not accept any government funding, either from the U.S. or elsewhere. Support for all IRP programs comes entirely from private, non-partisan foundations in the U.S. whose names are listed on the About the IRP page, as well as from contributions from individuals. The program schedules for the reporting trips are devised entirely by the IRP senior staff, who create a program of appointments and activities based on the interests and requests of participating journalists.
Are former IRP fellows allowed to apply for a trip?
Yes. Alumni who have participated in previous IRP fellowships, trips, and residencies are eligible to apply.