About the Grant

To increase public awareness on TB and the solutions being done to combat it, #TBFreePH is launching the TB Media Fellowship in the Philippines. The objective of this fellowship is to produce in-depth stories about Tuberculosis in the Philippines that follows a civic journalism framework or “the inclusion of the public in the journalist’s work.”

#TBFreePH will run a one-day TB Coverage Workshop on July 01, 2021. After the workshop, journalists interested in the fellowship must submit an application with their story ideas. The stories need to include the participation of community actors and potential sources the story development, allowing key stakeholders to participate in creating, collecting, and communicating perspectives on TB.

Twenty (20) fellows will be selected among the applicants. Selected fellows will be announced on July 26, 2021. The fellows will have to go through a half-day workshop to further develop their stories. Experts from FHI 360 and Evident would also be available to provide support from July 27 to August 6, 2021. Stories must be published in the approved media outlet by September 03, 2021. From the pool of published stories, the best three (3) stories will be awarded with an additional cash prize.

Grantor

This fellowship is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is implemented by FHI 360 and Evident Communications.

Eligibility Criteria

Interested applicants must comply with the following conditions to be eligible:

• Applicants must be a reporter (multi-media or traditional) or be a photojournalist from any Philippine publications or news agency. Freelance journalists and writers who have been published in Philippine media are accepted.
• Journalists from all types of media organisations are encouraged to apply -- whether they come from traditional media or new platforms like podcasts.
• There is no minimum age or years of professional experience as long as there is previous publication in a reputable news agency.
• Journalists and writers across the Philippines are encouraged to apply.

In addition, interested applicants must attend the whole-day TB Coverage Guidelines workshop on July 01, 2021. Selected fellows must also attend a half-day story conference session and sensitivity workshop on July 30, 2021. All workshops will be conducted online.

Application Requirements

Below are the application requirements for the applicants:

• Updated CV or Resume (max 3 pages)
• Links to relevant past work
• Story Proposal that include:

• • Proposed topic/ story angle, description, and target publication (for freelance journalists and writers).
  • A statement on how you plan to work with communities/ stakeholders
  • Estimated publication date
  • Source/ resources needed from #TBFreePH

• Letter of Approval from the Editor

• • The editor of the target publication must give a letter of approval or commitment that they will publish the story on their platform once it is available. The letter of approval can be submitted after the July 30, 2021 workshop for selected fellows.

Selection Criteria

Funding and Priority Areas

Each fellow will receive a grant amount of PHP 30,000 to complete their stories.

Priority is given to the following:

• Journalists and publications outside Metro Manila. Journalists and publications inside Metro Manila but will do stories from outside Metro Manila are included.
• Articles or multimedia reports that will use the region’s local language (i.e. Bisaya for Cebu, Hiligaynon for Panay). Journalists, however, will be asked to provide English translations of the published article.
• Articles or multi-media reports that aim to elicit ideal health behaviors.
• Thematic priorities include:

• • Legislation enabling holistic TB Care
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Misconceptions about TB transmission
  • TB case-finding initiatives
  • Addressing TB stigma

Top Stories

From the twenty (20) TB fellows, the best three (3) stories will be selected. Winners will get a bonus amount of PHP 10,000 each.

Stories must be published in the approved media outlets by September 03, 2021. Winners will be announced by September 10, 2021.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Phase I: Application Period

• July 01, 2021: Whole day TB Coverage Guidelines Workshop. All interested applicants must attend this session to be eligible for the grant fellowship.
• June 14 to July 10, 2021: Application period for the fellowship.
• July 11 to July 25, 2021: Evaluation period for applicants.
• July 26, 2021: Announcement of twenty (20) TB Fellows

Phase II: Capacity Building for Journalists

• July 26 to August 6, 2021: Story Development. FHI 360 and Evident can provide guidance and consultations to the TB Fellows during this period.
• July 30, 2021: A half-day story conference and sensitivity workshop will be conducted with the selected fellows.
• August 2021: Story Coverage and Writing

Phase III: Publication and Awarding

• September 03, 2021: All approved stories must be published by this date to be eligible for the final awards.
• September 10, 2021: Top three (3) winning stories are announced.

Main Contact Person

For questions and clarifications, please contact Raya Albarece,

Evident Project Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +63917 650 3963.