Environmental
Data Journalism
Academy
for India
Thibi and the Internews Earth Journalism Network’s Environmental Data Journalism Academy prepares passionate environmental journalists in India for careers in data-driven accountability reporting.
The intensive six-month Academy has been created for select journalists to produce in-depth data-driven journalism on critical environmental issues in India. The course, which will run in 2024, is divided into two parts: two months of Fundamentals of Data Journalism online learning, and four months of Advanced Data Storytelling (combination of in-person and remote). The Advanced Data Storytelling phase will provide story mentorships that come with a story production stipend to 15 fellows who completed the Fundamentals phase and successfully pitched a story.
Journalists will work on under-reported data-driven environmental stories, particularly on India’s water resources, that are in the public interest.
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The Environmental Data Journalism Academy teaches a structured, reusable process for telling data-driven stories about any beat using a wide array of tools. By diving deep into specific environmental data in India, journalists go through guided exercises to produce data-driven stories and develop mastery over the key issues, tools and storytelling techniques for finding scoops hidden in data.
This course expands on the basic process by equipping journalists with the skills to iterate nuanced hypotheses, wrangle more complex data and ask more penetrating questions of both the data and the experts who understand the story it has to tell. While continuing to work on a core set of environmental data, journalists will be invited to find new angles to uncover new insights into the topic and explore new ways of telling those stories.
Each story grant recipient will receive one-on-one remote coaching for several hours a week through publication by both data and long-form journalism experts as they apply the process learned in the course to their own investigation. We will also work closely with editors and publishers to ensure that interactive content and longform storytelling are effectively integrated into various platforms.
Under the thematic focus of water and environment in India, each grantee will receive funding to support a story that is part of an explanatory series on a single issue.
Tell deeper environmental accountability stories through data
The single most important predictor for success for this program is a passion for in-depth storytelling and a track record to prove it. We are looking for self-motivated, high-potential individuals in India who are open to learning a new process for investigating a story through data. Applicants might be employed at media companies or freelancers. We also welcome teams from a single media house. We welcome newsroom reporters, designers and developers who have some experience covering the environmental beat.
When I wrote my story for the fellowship, I found the process fascinating. Especially with this new way of expressing data journalism combined with storytelling, which attracts readers’ attention. I was surprised and happy when my story was recognized by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Read Tuyen's full interview and impact story here
Data journalism has helped me change the way I tell stories. From opinion-based to data-based, or even numeric-based. New-generation audiences care for facts, not opinions.
Explore how journalists have harnessed data to explain and expose crucial environmental issues.
Check out all the stories we have produced!Behind the scenes of a data story is an exciting and rewarding process. It involves collecting, analyzing, and presenting data in a way that is easily understood and engaging.
Check out the behind-the-scenes of a data storyYou will be asked to fill out an online application form and submit examples of previous stories you’ve written. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next round of selection.
Sign up to our mailing list to stay updated on announcements if you decide not to apply yet. We will be posting more on FAQs, application closing date and other program information.
We are looking for people passionate about data journalism in India to join our team.
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