MSF Media Fellowship 2019-20 : Call for applications

MSF invites applications for MSF Media Fellowship 2019-20 for journalists to facilitate responsible and respective reporting on issues related to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

The fellowship aims to improve people’s understanding and increase their awareness that SGBV impacts health and requires social support for the survivor

Thank you for your interest.

The application window for MSF Media Fellowship 2019-20 is now closed.

About MSF

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters and exclusion from healthcare in more than 70 countries.

MSF offers assistance to people based on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. MSF has worked in India since 1999, providing free-of-charge essential healthcare to people in remote areas, and specialist care for people affected by HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, kala azar and sexual and gender-based violence. We also respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, provide mental healthcare and advocate for the development of more effective and affordable medicines to improve access to treatment for people everywhere.

We currently run projects in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. MSF was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 1996 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Our actions are guided by the principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. We offer assistance based solely on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. We do not take sides in a conflict. We can do this because of our independence, assured by the fact that a majority of our funds comes from private sources.

Objective

The MSF fellowship aims at building/strengthening rapport with the media community in India, by providing access to MSF fieldwork, advocacy and research to encourage in-depth, insightful reporting on medical humanitarian and issues of public health concern for MSF. This year the media fellowship will focus on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.

Topic

Sexual and Gender-based Violence affects millions of people, shattering the peoples lives. It is a medical emergency, but there is often a dire lack of healthcare services centred on the survivors and lack of awareness around long term consequences of SGBV.

Shame, fear, stigmatisation and many other barriers prevent an unknown number of people from receiving, or even seeking, treatment.

Media reporting on sexual and other forms of gender-based violence should facilitate advocacy with decision-makers and communities to ensure the protection of survivors. However, media reporting on SGBV – when it fails to take into account basic ethical and safety principles – can also put SGBV survivors, their families and those who are helping them at risk.

The media has an important role to play in changing perceptions and to reshape the conversations to galvanize action for change. Mainstream media has the potential to change the way communities think, understand and talk about violence.

MSF conducted a study in Delhi to gain a comprehensive understanding of barriers to care for survivors of SGBV. This study aimed to identify factors that could improve SGBV service utilisation and acceptance among MSF’s catchment population in Delhi, with a focus on:

Learning about community knowledge related to SGBV, including its consequences, who’s at risk, the importance of care, the required treatment, and clinic services; for instance one of the findings of the study is that according to the participants, rape is viewed to be commonly perpetrated by strangers and neighbours and most likely to occur in public outdoor spaces and/or the survivor’s home.
Attitudes towards health aspects of SGBV; the study found that most people perceived physical consequences of rape as physical injuries and death. Psychological consequences were described as severe, including shame, self-blame, and the fear or experience of social consequences. The inability to seek help and receive support was perceived to exacerbate psychological consequences. Stigma was considered the most serious and commonly mentioned social consequence; perceived to ‘ruin the reputation’ of the survivor and so their opportunities and future (notably marriage and family life).
Practices related to SGBV care-seeking paths, including barriers and enablers to service access and uptake. The findings of the study suggest that most survivors of rape would not seek help, but would remain silent due to barriers to formal care and the social consequences of seeking it.
Participants of the study who do think care is needed, the first point of help-seeking was often described as a trusted friend or family member, who played a critical role either in supporting the survivor and facilitating their access to care or discouraging/preventing it in order to preserve the reputation of the survivor and family. Social support was considered key in facilitating access to care, specifically from family members, combined with knowledge of the care available and where to seek it.
One of the barriers was fear of stigma, and social consequences for rape survivors, Seeking formal support was perceived to lead to public disclosure, due to the lack of confidentiality of health services.
Strategies and activities that may be effective in improving access and uptake of services.

An important recommendation from the report suggests working with journalists to change the existing narratives of rape in the current media landscape.

With this background MSF Media Fellowship wants to encourage reporting in a responsible and respective – sensitive manner; improve people’s understanding and increase their awareness that SGBV impacts health and requires social support for the survivor, specifically from family members and facilitate their access to care, combined with knowledge of the care available and where to seek medical attention.

The fellowship reporting also wants to raise awareness amongst the care providers to promote respectful and compassionate attitudes and behaviour towards survivors of SGBV.

Duration & Funding

The Fellowship will last for a period of one month. The selected fellow will receive funding which will support research, travel, accommodation, meals, fixers/interpreter. The Fellowship fund will be disbursed in installments. It is mandatory to produce and submit original bills for all expenditure incurred during the course of the fellowship.

Eligibility

Professional journalists, including freelancers, photojournalists working in print, television or online media in India.
Applicants must demonstrate a minimum of four years of professional experience in writing on health, development, public policy and/or related issues.
Journalists working for English and/or national language publication in India are eligible to apply to the MSF Media Fellowship.

Expected Deliverables

Fellows are expected to publish the following:

Pitch their ideas on how to
- Raise awareness of the topic, that it can happen to anyone, and it is never one’s fault, the importance to access services and to reduce the stigma within the wider community
- Improve people’s understanding and increase their awareness that SGBV impacts health and requires social support for the survivor specifically from family members and facilitate their access to care.
- Raise awareness amongst the care providers to promote respectful and compassionate attitudes and behaviour towards survivors of SGBV.

Print/Online: Minimum of 3 articles (500 words each) or 1 long-form story (2000 words) on the topic in the publication they are working for within three months of completion of Fellowship.
Multimedia: 2 Articles (500 words each) accompanied by multimedia content like video, data visualizations, photostory, illustrations
Television: 1 feature-length documentary (20-30 Min) or 3 Television news stories
Fellows are expected to speak about their experience to the larger MSF India office and other interested people of MSF after the completion of the Fellowship.

Application Requirements

Interested journalists should send the following the documents with their application

Resume not more than 2 pages
A proposal demonstrating initial research and story angles outlining their possible focus area (700-word proposal)
Letter of recommendation from professional referee (other than editor) detailing the applicant’s journalistic abilities and aptitude for the fellowship.
Two samples of previously published work. If the work is in regional language, please provide English translation.
Applicants must provide a ‘letter of support’ from the editor of their current employer/editor assuring Fellows time/leave for 4 weeks and agreeing to publish the articles written by the Fellows in their publication. Freelancers must also provide a supporting letter from the editor of a publication agreeing to use the articles
Statement of purpose explaining the motivation for writing on this topic.

“Why do you want to do the MSF Fellowship and how do you see it benefiting your career?” (500 words)

Selection

All applications will be evaluated by MSF as well as an external jury member
MSF reserves the right to not award any fellowships if applications do not meet a basic minimum standard.
All decisions taken by MSF will be final