Justice and Journalism Fund
Application Guidelines

Application Deadline: Ongoing through September 30, 2008

The Justice and Journalism Fund supports in-depth, high-quality news stories and commentary.

The fund was established by USC Annenberg’s Institute for Justice and Journalism (IJJ) through a Ford Foundation grant to provide direct support to journalists or news organizations for projects in various media, including print, Web, radio, television and photography.

The goal: stories that help the public understand complex, multi-faceted issues, especially those related to immigration and borderlands, race and ethnicity, crime and punishment, or post-9/11 security and civil rights. IJJ is particularly interested in making U.S.-based stories more multidimensional by adding international components.

Eligibility

Justice and Journalism Fund support is available to independent journalists and those employed by news organizations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal U.S. residents committed to producing quality, in-depth work about social justice issues.

Funding Support

Support between $500 and $3,000 will be provided for accepted proposals in the form of either stipends or travel expenses support. A budget for project expenses will be required for determining the support amount. Preference will be given to projects likely to have high impact or visibility.

• Independent journalists (freelancers) may apply for stipends for reporting and travel- related expenses.
• Journalists working at a news organization, with the consent of that outlet, may apply for stipends to cover travel-related expenses.

Support up to $5,000 will be considered for cross-media collaboration—depending on the scope of the project and costs involved. Funds can be used for reporting, travel and technical services. A budget for project expenses will be required for determining the support amount.

• Journalists or news organizations with projects involving collaboration among different media (mass media, ethnic media, community media and youth media), across different media platforms, are encouraged to apply.

 Application Process

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis through September 30, 2008.

Please submit the following materials in triplicate (original plus two copies).

1. Completed Application Form
Download application as PDF or Word (fillable) or request by e-mail at ijj@usc.edu

2. Current Resume (must include education and work history)

3. Work Samples
Three relevant work samples that demonstrate your journalistic abilities and interests.

• Print journalists: Clippings must be dated and legible. Mount original articles or
  photocopies on 8½” by 11” paper. Do not bind or embellish clippings.
• Broadcast journalists: Video, audio cassette, CDs or DVDs with examples of your
  work. Total viewing or listening time should be no more than 30 minutes. Include a
  brief, typed description of the work with the production date.
• Online journalists: The URL for each submitted sample of your work, along with a
  printed or typed description of the piece and its initial posting date.
• Photojournalists: Up to 10 images of your work may be submitted, along with a
  printed or typed description of each image. Prints, copies of prints or CDs are
  acceptable.

4. Project Proposal
A detailed proposal (800 words maximum) must include:

• Subject of the proposed project and how it will be carried out.
• Why this subject is important.
• Freelancers must specify where the completed project could be published, broadcast or exhibited.

Include also a time line and an itemized budget of anticipated expenses for the project.

Applications submitted by fax or e-mail will not be considered.
Application materials will not be returned.

 Review / Selection Process

A committee led by IJJ Director Steve Montiel will review the applications.

In considering the merit of a proposal, the selection committee will weigh these factors:

• Originality: Has this subject been covered before? How is your approach different?
• Topic: How well does the proposed topic fit with IJJ’s focus on social justice issues such as immigration and borderlands, race and ethnicity, crime and punishment, and post-9/11 security and civil rights?
• Importance: Why is this subject important? How does it affect people?
• Timing: Is there a “news peg” or reason for doing this work now?
• Voice: Would the proposed project give voice to perspectives, context or experiences that otherwise would go unreported?
• Experience: What are your qualifications and degree of interest to take on this subject?
• Distribution: Where will your completed work be published, broadcast or exhibited?
• Impact: What visibility do you expect? What impact would you like your work to have?
• Need: How much of a difference would a modest amount of support make in your ability to complete the proposed project?

Applicants will be notified by letter or e-mail about the selection committee’s decision.

Selected applicants will be required to sign a letter of agreement committing to complete the project within 60 days or another time period approved by IJJ.

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact Frank Sotomayor, Associate Director, at (213) 437-4406 or frank.sotomayor@usc.edu.

Send application and materials to:

Attn: Justice and Journalism Fund
Institute for Justice and Journalism
USC Annenberg School for Communication
300 South Grand Avenue, Suite 3950
Los Angeles CA 90071-3175