African Journalist Reporting Tour to China 2015 - Applications open

The Wits China-Africa Reporting Project is collaborating with the African Communication Research Centre at the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing for an African Journalist Reporting Tour to China 2015. African journalists from across the continent are invited to apply for the Reporting Tour, which is scheduled for 28 October to 7 November 2015. Five African journalists will be selected for the Tour, for which the China-Africa Reporting Project will provide airfares, accommodation, and other related expenses.

Itinerary and purpose of the Reporting Tour

The purposes of the Tour are for journalists to partake in training and exchange activities at CUC, and to conduct supplementary fieldwork and research for a China-Africa feature. Journalists will travel from their home countries to Beijing, where they will be hosted by CUC and where they will participate in training and exchange activities, possibly including interacting with CUC Masters students and attending lectures/training, engaging with Chinese journalists involved in China-African reporting and African journalists working in Beijing, and visiting local media houses and/or companies and the China Africa Media Centre.

Following these activities the journalists will be allocated time and support to conduct fieldwork and research in Beijing/China for a China-Africa feature to be published after their return to Africa. Journalists will be allocated a week for supplementary fieldwork and research in China, and are expected to do additional research for the China-Africa feature in their home countries in Africa before and/or after the Reporting Tour.

How to apply for the Reporting Tour

African journalists are invited to apply by sending an application to the Wits China-Africa Reporting Project via email to africa-china@journalism.co.za by no later than 11 September.

Applications should include the following:

• Clearly structured proposal for China-Africa feature to be produced via the Reporting Tour, including how the journalist will make use of supplementary fieldwork and research while in Beijing/China during the Reporting Tour and how this will be combined with research in Africa. Journalists should indicate the individuals, organisations and locations their research in Beijing will focus on. Journalists are recommended to review the page on the project’s website How to Apply for a Grant to be aware of the kinds of stories and proposals encouraged by the Wits China-Africa Reporting Project, e.g. preference will be given to proposals with a relatively narrow focus around specific projects or issues
• Applicant’s resumé/CV and samples of China-Africa published/broadcast work
• Editor’s supporting letter where possible or an indication of where the article will be published
• Optionally, applications could also include suggested topics for the lectures journalists will attend at CUC

Only applications in MS Word or PDF formats will be considered.