Support to media organisations

30.10.2020

Through the new EU financed programme ‘COVID-19 Response in Africa: Together for Reliable Information’ International Media Support (IMS) has established an emergency support mechanism aimed at helping public interest media in Africa, including Eswatini, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this rapid response mechanism, International Media Support offers small grants that allow the recipients to continue their work in the short term and hopefully weather the immediate crisis.

Requirements for support

The award criteria for emergency funds are:

  • Media outlets from any country in Sub-Saharan Africa are eligible excluding South Africa, Nigeria, DR Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Benin, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal;
  • Media outlets must conduct public interest journalism related to the pandemic, or be directly affected by the impact of the pandemic;
  • Funds can be sought for continuation of vital operations, for purchase of personal protection equipment (PPE) and related safety provisions, as well as content production and content distribution related to the COVID-19 theme;
  • The ability of the beneficiaries to reach out to neglected and vulnerable communities will be a priority in the selection procedure;
  • Special consideration will be made to public interest and journalistic relevance;
  • Grant value per recipient cannot exceed EUR 10,000.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by sending an email to C19Africa@mediasupport.org, briefly describing your media organisation and the need for emergency funds. You will then receive an email from the IMS Online Application System which will allow you to submit further information as well as a concept note. Once we have the necessary information your application will be evaluated and you will be notified of the result.

More information about emergency funds to both media organisations and individual media professionals can be found on https://collaboration.freepressunlimited.org/projects/covid-19-response-in-africa/emergency-support/