Story Grants to Report on Progress Toward the 30x30 Marine Conservation Target
EJN is offering reporting grants to journalists in coastal countries to support the production of in-depth stories on progress toward the 30x30 target, which stipulates that 30% of coastal and marine areas should be conserved by 2030.
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Overview
In December 2022, more than 190 countries committed to achieve "30x30" under target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework. This target calls for the effective protection and management of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, by the year 2030.
Yet summits since then have made it clear the world is not on track to meet this target. In fact, so far countries have only fully or highly protected 2.9% of our oceans, far from the 30% target.
There are solutions in development: Creating marine protected areas (MPAs) and other area-based conservation measures with strong rules and enforcement are among the most effective ways to conserve biodiversity. Newly developed tools such as the 30x30 Progress Tracker will help make tracking, planning, and advocating for progress toward meeting the 30×30 goal more streamlined.
News organizations and journalists, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, often lack the resources, knowledge, or capacity to report relevant and high-quality ocean-related information. Many journalists themselves may not be familiar with ocean issues, 30x30 or MPAs.
To fill this gap, EJN is offering up to 16 story grants with support from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation to journalists in coastal countries to conduct in-depth reporting on the 30x30 target and efforts to reach it.
Story themes
We welcome story ideas that focus on the following themes, including, but not limited to:
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The commitments made by government(s) to meet the 30x30 target, including the activities being developed, regulations being implemented and the money being spent;
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The impact of proposed or created Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and/or Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs);
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How transnational fishing fleets, IUU fishing, shipping and other industries affect efforts to reach the 30x30 target;
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The extent to which Indigenous and local communities are or are not involved in the creation and management of protected areas;
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Technologies such as satellites, remote sensing, eDNA and artificial intelligence for the effective management of MPAs;
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National and international policy negotiations and financial instruments to achieve the 30x30 target.
We are particularly interested in supporting projects that use cross-border, solutions journalism and/or investigative approaches.
We aim to support the production of stories that raise awareness about the 30x30 target and drive conversation among communities and policy makers at the local, national, and regional level. Proposals that focus on topics or stories that have not been widely covered are preferred. Issues that have already received a lot of media coverage or don't provide unique angles to environmental or climate challenges are less likely to be selected.
Eligibility
Applicants can be from any coastal country. Because 30x30 refers to marine conservation, we will not accept applications from countries with a freshwater coast; only coastal countries with a marine border will be considered.
We are particularly interested in cross-border and transboundary stories, and groups of journalists are encouraged to apply. However, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded.
For the purposes of this grant opportunity, we will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff.
Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience. We welcome applications from early-career journalists and experienced reporters with a track record of covering ocean issues. We encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.
Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.
Story logistics
We expect to award up to 16 grants with an average budget of US$1,500 each.
We plan to issue grants in May with the expectation that all stories will be published by October 31, 2025, at the latest. Applicants should consider this timeline when drafting their workplan.
Safety: We encourage reporters to follow best practices for Covid-19 when out in the field so you do not endanger yourself or the people you’re interviewing. If needed, you should include any Covid-related costs, such as tests or personal protective equipment, in your budget.
Language of publication: Stories can be produced in any language. However, applicants who intend to write or produce stories in their local language need to also include an English translation. Please include the cost for translation in the budget, if necessary.
Story budget: All applicants are required to provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested using the template provided below. We ask that the budgets be reasonable and account for costs necessary for reporting, such as travel and accommodation. Please also note on your budget form if you are receiving funding from any other donors for the story.
Generally speaking, applications with smaller budgets will be more competitive, but we will consider larger grant amounts for stories using innovative, collaborative or investigative approaches that may be more resource-intensive and time-consuming.
We expect that proposals will largely reflect what equipment the applicant already has access to (including cameras, drones, lighting, tripods, etc.) and will not consider budgets that heavily focus on procuring new equipment.
We will consider a stipend for the reporters’ salary, particularly if the applicant is a freelancer. Please estimate the time you’ll need to complete this story and propose compensation you believe reflects a fair market rate. We ask, however, that this comprises no more than 30% of the total budget.
Acknowledgement of EJN support: Published stories and/or broadcasts must disclose EJN support by including this tagline: “This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.”
Republication rights: Those who are awarded grants are free to publish or broadcast their stories first in their affiliated media as long as Internews’ EJN, its partners and the grant funder, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, are also given rights to edit, publish, broadcast and distribute them freely.
Judging criteria
Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals.
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Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
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Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
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Reach: Does the proposed media outlet have a wide reach? Journalists publishing their work at outlets that typically restrict content behind paywalls are encouraged to secure commitments to publish from additional outlets, or request an exception to ensure their EJN-supported story remains accessible to audiences.
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Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and spur action?
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Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a plus.
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Plan for timely publication: Reporters, whether freelance or employed at a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publish the stories by October 31, 2025.
Application process
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Click the 'Apply now' button at the top of the page.
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If you have an existing account, you’ll need to log in. Since we recently updated our website, you might have to reset your password by clicking the “Forgot password?” link in the log in page. If you don’t have an account, you must register by clicking “Log in” on the top right of the page and click the “Sign up” link at the bottom of the page that opens. Click?here?for detailed instructions on how to create an account, and?here?for detailed instructions on how to reset your password.?
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If you start the application and want to come back and complete it later, you can click 'Save Draft.' To return to the draft, you'll need to go back to the opportunity and click 'Apply now' again to finalize the application.
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Applications should provide a detailed budget in an Excel spreadsheet with justification for the amount requested. Download the budget template now by clicking on this link.
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All applicants are asked to provide a signed letter of support from their editor, explicitly stating that the media outlet will publish the stories produced as a result of this grant.
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Applicants will also need to submit two samples of stories or links to relevant work.
Note: You'll be asked to upload these supporting documents once you start the application process, so please have them handy.
If you encounter difficulties with submitting your application or have questions about the grants, please email info.ejn@internews.org. Do not contact any other Internews email regarding this opportunity, as we will not receive it.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
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