Adelante Reporting Initiative Fellowship Program 2020 - Mexico-Guatemala Cross-Border

As part of the IWMF’s Latin America reporting initiative, Adelante, five pairs of journalists will travel to Tapachula, Mexico and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala from March 2 - 17, 2020. All reporting fellows will begin their trip in Mexico City on March 2 where they will complete a four-day Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) course from March 3 - 6. Fellows will then depart for the Mexico-Guatemala border for nine days of reporting in Tapachula, Mexico and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and the surrounding areas. The IWMF will determine the exact number of days spent in Tapachula and Quetzaltenango after the reporting fellows have been selected. The focus of this reporting trip is to generate media coverage of under-reported issues in Mexico and Guatemala and to promote new narratives in the international media. Fellows will have the opportunity to network with other journalists, report collaboratively with their teammates and peers, and gain access to a variety of sources and sites related to their reporting. The feasibility of trips outside of the base location in Mexico and Guatemala will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and determined by IWMF security protocols. Any travel must be within a three-hour radius of the base location. The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all fellows. The IWMF also covers fellowship-related costs within the framework of the reporting trip including travel, visa fees, lodging, meals and fixers/interpreters, unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs. Fellows living outside the U.S. are responsible for procuring all necessary visas for which they will be reimbursed at the conclusion of the fellowship.

Eligibility Criteria

Journalists must apply for this reporting fellowship in pairs. All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Affiliated or freelance women-identifying or non-binary journalists with three (3) or more years of professional experience working in news media. Internships do not count toward professional experience.
• Non-native English speakers must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program.
• Applicant must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.

The IWMF believes that gender does not conform to one notion. We are inclusive of all journalists who identify as women, which includes trans women, and non-binary people.

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.