Media Council of Kenya launches health reporting grant
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has launched a health reporting grant in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA).
The grant aims to support journalists in their reporting on the coronavirus Disease and will see up to 500 MCK-accredited journalists get the opportunity to apply for grants.
The grant, which ranges from Sh 1,000 to Sh 25,000 will help facilitate the journalist reporting and coverage of the Covid-19 in Kenya.
MCK CEO, David Omwoyo, while launching the initiative on Tuesday, noted that the Ministry of Health (MoH) guidelines on the control of the virus, have affected the work of journalists and that they need support to carry out their work.
“We are eager to see to it that journalists are facilitated to carry out their work in this environment of depressed incomes and economic activity. The media plays a critical role in public health messaging, and as such, we want to ensure that we do what we can to facilitate their work for the greater public good,” he said.
According to MCK Head of Media Development & Strategy, Victor Bwire, who will also be coordinating the grant program, the successful applicants will also undergo virtual training sessions facilitated by the Media Council of Kenya.
“We will go beyond the issuing of grants to successful applicants, to also ensuring that some virtual capacity-building takes place via online platforms to enable the journalists to improve on their writing and submit health stories that meet a quality mark as judged by audience interest and response,” Bwire said.
The grant can be used in travel, communications, and other related costs in the research, interviewing, and compilation processes of the stories by the successful journalists.
Apply to e-mail to academy@mediacouncil.or.ke with “Health Reporting Grant” in the subject field.
Applications for the grant closes on April 30, 2020 at midnight, after which they will be vetted by a team of experts announcing up to 50 grantees per week.