2021 SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA GRANT FOR SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING
Highway Africa (HA), together with the Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, invites media houses in Southern Africa to apply for the 2021 Southern Africa Media Grant for Social Accountability Reporting.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE GRANT
HA and PSA aim to support high-quality investigative reporting on issues of social accountability, specifically on HIV / SRHR and food security by media organisations in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
ABOUT THE GRANT
The grant supports two media organisations from the PSA Alliance’s project countries – Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe – on developing an investigative story, using data journalism, on issues of social accountability related to one of the following categories:
- HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
- Food Security
Applications will be examined by a panel of media experts in the region. The representatives of the selected media houses will be invited to attend the virtual Highway Africa Conference to be held on 21-23 June 2021, where the grant will be presented.
GRANT AMOUNT
USD 1000.00 each for two media houses with the best story idea
CRITERIA
- Eligible story ideas should consist of investigative reporting on issues of social accountability[i] related to HIV and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and food security.
- The media organisations must be based in Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
- Story ideas can be in any language spoken in the five countries.
- Story ideas can be for print, online, radio, TV, multimedia and photo journalism.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
28 May 2021 (23:59 GMT +2)
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read through the following documents to fully understand the requirements for the call before applying. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Applicants should fill in the application form here >> https://forms.gle/RBEsJ1nu8vmKnfUd6
BACKGROUND OF THE PSA ALLIANCE
The Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, through the project ‘Strengthening Social Accountability and Oversight in Health and Agriculture in Southern Africa,’ seeks to improve public service delivery in agriculture (food security), health (HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights) and public resource management. This is done through strengthening the oversight and social accountability roles of five target groups in the SADC region, specifically: selected parliamentary committees, relevant government departments, issue-based civil society organisations (CSOs), smallholder farmer organisations, and the media.
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project focuses on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The PSA Alliance is a consortium of organisations led by ActionAid International (AAI) and including the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) of Rhodes University, Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) and SAfAIDS.
[i] Social accountability is the broad range of actions and mechanisms beyond voting that citizens can use to hold the state to account. It is accountability that relies on civic engagement, namely a situation whereby ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability. It is the right of citizens to demand explanations & justifications for the way public resources are spent, and demand corrective action where necessary.
