The Brixton Blog and Bugle are working with The Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ), on a project aimed at strengthening links between London-based community journalism outlets and community campaign groups.
With funding from the Trust for London, the project will bring together and support both groups – as well as an early-career investigative journalist – to work on collaborative investigations focusing on issues affecting London communities.
The project is looking for early-career investigative journalism fellows to take part. Applications are open now until Sunday 24 April at 23:59.
The project will require some commitments in terms of time and work, but there are several benefits to being involved:
- Access to online investigative skills training organised by the CIJ over the summer
- Participation in the project will cover three months (approximately June-August 2022) of your research time to a total of £1,650 as well as reasonable expenses
- An opportunity to forge stronger links with a media outlet and campaign group in your community through collaborative work
- Profile raising through publicity about the project and your research findings.
Application criteria are simple and straightforward, with only two essentials:
- Having shown commitment to the ethical use of investigative journalism in the public interest
- Based in, or can easily travel to, London.
Desirable criteria are:
- Having brought one piece of work with investigative elements to successful publication
- Lived experience of poverty, inequality or other structural barriers to entering the journalism profession
- A connection to one of the following London communities: Lambeth, Barnet, Newham, Tower Hamlets.
As well as working with Brixton Media, the publisher of the Brixton Blog and Brixton Bugle, the project will be working with the Barnet Post, Newham Voices and Social Streets.
The only other requirement for an investigative journalism fellow is the ability to meet the time commitments for training attendance and research work outlined in the application form.
They will need to commit to the following:
- Working closely with the community media outlet editor on the focus of the investigative research and preparing a project pitch
- Working closely with community campaign partners
- Attendance and contributions at planning and development meetings
- Project outcome reporting and financial reporting where relevant to CIJ
- Attendance at investigative skills training courses and the CIJ summer conference.
Testimonials from participants in the project last year:
“[The training] spoke to the style of reporting and writing that I’ve always wanted to achieve as a journalist. It taught me the hallmarks of what is needed to make an investigative article gripping, effective, and impactful. The course structure and tutors were engaging and enjoyable from beginning to end and heavily informed every part of my investigative process in this programme and outside of it.”
“The course content was great – I think the data journalism one was a stand-out, as it was so useful in helping me to better analyse government documents and other official statistical releases.”
