Media Training in India

Course applications are now being invited targeting journalists interested in reporting and exploring forest protection in India.

The training program, which is sponsored by the Centre for Science and Environment, is structured to give journalists the opportunity to investigate communities in India affected by the 2006 Forest Rights Act. The Act, protects villages from displacement and gives communities legal rights over forest use. This Act was introduced in December 2006, empowering indigenes of villages in India, the responsibility of managing their forest resources.

The training, which is packaged as a media fellowship, would enable selected juournalists the opportunity to study first hand the implementation, violation and drawbacks of the Act in the forest areas in India. It would include a month for researches, writing, publication and submission of stories and features, and another month for study trips.

Journalists selected for the training, would receive 40,000 Rupees to support them in their research efforts.

Period of the Fellowship programme: December 15, 2010 - February 15, 2011.

Requirements: 

• Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae.
• Three samples of published work focusing on developmental issues (for print journalists).
• For applicants from non-English speaking regions, at least one of the published articles must be translated into English.
• Two samples of broadcast documentaries focusing on developmental issues, which must be accompanied with a short written summmary of the documentaries, including the CDs of the samples (for broadcast journalists).
• A letter of support from the editor giving assurance that the stories written after the training would be published or broadcast.
• A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining the following:

1. the city/cities/state on which the proposal is focused
2. the subject(s) and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on
3. tentative travel plans 
4. a list of people who might be interviewed

Deadline: October 31, 2010

- Your Pal

For more information contact:

Papia Samajdar

Assistant Coordinator, Media Resource Centre,

Centre for Science and Environment,

41 Tughlakabad Institutional Area,

New Delhi 110 062

Ph: 011-29955124, 29955125,

Fax: 011-29955879 Extn 282

Mobile: 9811906977

Email: papia@cseindia.org