Deadline: November 19, 2021
Despite its scale and impact, violence against children is rarely covered in the media outside of one-off stories around specific incidents. Little attention is given to its direct impacts on families and children, much less, its toll on socioeconomic development and public health. Violence prevention efforts, which require societal and political buy-in, also receive little coverage. Journalists thus play a key role in amplifying violence prevention issues that garner the attention of the public and policymakers.
In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), ICFJ is conducting the Violence Prevention Reporting Program to:
- Prepare and promote a media guide on violence prevention reporting
- Implement a two-week online course for 60 global participants, covering critical issues in violence prevention and successful initiatives
- Organize six regional webinars, each targeting approximately 20 participants from WHO target regions and countries
- Support journalists from target countries in producing high-quality, engaging stories that highlight solutions for violence against children
ICFJ is now accepting applications for the Online Course on Violence Prevention. The two-week online course will take place in December 2021 and is designed to enable journalists around the world to strengthen their reporting on issues related to violence against children and effective interventions. Topics covered will include:
– Child violence in the news
– Why the voice of the child is newsworthy
– Experiences of journalists reporting on child violence
– Hooks for child welfare stories
– Child welfare reporting tips
– Carrying out interviews with children and their networks
– Resources for reporting on child violence
Benefits/Funding:
The online course will additionally train participants on reporting practices such as the basics of data journalism, fact checking and audience engagement.
Participants will be encouraged to produce stories around issues related to violence prevention in their home countries using lessons learned from the training. Those who do produce stories will be given preference for participation in the subsequent phase of the program, during which they will also be eligible for reporting grants and dedicated virtual mentorship.
