Our Mission:

We empower journalists to deliver trustworthy news essential for vibrant societies.

ICFJ works at the nexus of journalism and technology, building the expertise and storytelling skills of reporters worldwide. Through our work, journalists are enhancing news coverage and connecting more deeply with their audiences. As a result, we are increasing the flows of reliable, trustworthy news - a cornerstone of healthy democracies. We believe that better journalism leads to better lives.

This is the application for the Audience Development Accelerator Challenge. This program will provide mentoring and support to news organizations based in New Zealand. 

Participating publishers will begin 10 weeks of virtual training and one-on-one coaching with an industry expert beginning in February 2022. At the end of the ten weeks, all organizations will be eligible to receive grant funding to implement lessons learned in the program over the following six months. The group will then reconvene to share lessons learned in late 2022. 

Applications will be accepted from November 4, 2021 until December 9, 2021.

In order to qualify for this program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You are a news organization of any type (digital, print, broadcast, etc.) located in New Zealand publishing public interest news content on a regular basis.
  • Your news organization has an existing digital and social media strategy.
  • Your news organization is willing to commit to the program’s requirements.

Applications must be received by 11:59:59 pm Auckland Time on December 9, 2021.

This program is subject to Terms and Conditions. See these terms for full eligibility criteria, grant evaluation process, and grant restrictions.

If you have any questions about this application, please reach out to Thayane Guimarães (tguimaraes@icfj.org). 

Please complete this form by Wednesday, June 30. If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Dibbert (tdibbert@icfj.org) or Cory Sagerstrom (csagerstrom@icfj.org).

Please complete this form by Friday, April 30. If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Dibbert (tdibbert@icfj.org) or Cory Sagerstrom (csagerstrom@icfj.org).

Do you know of a journalism tool, app or resource that we haven’t covered? A media innovator who has a fascinating story to tell? Or do you simply want to discuss a current media trend taking place in your country?

If so, we want to hear from you.

IJNet accepts pitches from readers, and in doing so, we hope to build a network of global, diverse contributors whose work can help as many journalists as possible.

Most of our freelancers work in English, but we've recently added the opportunity to write in Spanish, Portuguese or Russian. If you would prefer to write in one of these languages, please indicate that on the form below. 

We have noticed that many pitches are on topics unrelated to the content IJNet pitches. Before filling out the form, please familiarize yourself with IJNet content. We are a resource for journalists, and all our content focuses on the field of journalism. Below are some basic models for stories, with linked examples.

If we’re interested in your idea, we will get back to you as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we are not able to respond to everyone.

Not sure how to write a story pitch? Here are some tips from IJNet Contributor Sherry Ricchiardi.

Emerging Media Leaders is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by ICFJ. This Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is an exchange program for media professionals (journalists, technologists, and media entrepreneurs) from the Western Hemisphere to harness the power of digital tools and create viable news businesses that provide news and information in the public interest.
Through the program, media professionals from 21 countries throughout the Western Hemisphere have the opportunity to work directly with U.S. media organizations, develop entrepreneurship projects, and improve their skills in areas such as investigative journalism, fact-checking, and podcasting, as well as non-journalistic skills such as how to build a sustainable business model.
For more information about the program: https://www.icfj.org/our-work/emerging-media-leaders
Application deadline is April 10, 2023 (11:59 PM EST) for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 program.
If you have questions, please email Paul Rothman at prothman@icfj.org or Alexandra Susano at asusano@icfj.org.