The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is bringing back the PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling or “The PCIJ Story Project,” a grant that funded innovative storytelling collaborations between journalists and artists in 2017.

The PCIJ Story Project 2023 will provide grants — ranging from P20,000 up to P75,000 — for stories that document or expose abuse, negligence, or wrongdoing in the following subject areas:

 

  • poverty and inequality
  • human rights
  • the use of public funds
  • media, free expression, press freedom, media ethics
  • religious, ethnic, and sexual minorities
  • courts and criminal justice

 

PCIJ invites journalists, communicators, and artists to team up to tell stories on these subject areas. The project seeks to support journalistic projects, including video animation, documentary photography, and stories that combine text with image and sound. 

It will support stories intended for legacy news media as well as social media platforms, digital-only websites, and non-digital platforms that have traditionally not been used for journalistic production, such as film, the visual arts, theater, and music. Multiplatform storytelling is encouraged, but proposals for stories told in traditional print or broadcast formats will also be accepted.

There are no set formats for final outputs. We will accept proposals for journalist-artist collaborative projects, including for short nonfiction films, photo essays, graphic novels, even spoken word as long as they are based on facts and are backed up by documentary or testimonial evidence. There is no requirement to publish or air on traditional media. 

We encourage projects that break out of traditional forms of storytelling. Stories intended for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook or other social media platforms will be supported as long as they are accompanied by an ambitious and viable marketing, dissemination, and audience engagement strategy. In addition, they must be stories of significant public interest.

 

Applying to The PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling

 

The PCIJ will accept proposals from journalists, influencers, as well as photographers, filmmakers, and artists who work in collaboration with journalists.

To apply, those interested should complete a proposal here:

 

 APPLY NOW: PCIJ STORY PROJECT 2023 

 

You will be asked for you information, team members if any, project thesis, reporting methodology, previous work, publication plan, social engagement plan, budget, and workplan. 

 

Editorial Committee 

 

Proposals to The PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling will be evaluated by a committee of editors led by PCIJ Executive Director Carmela Fonbuena. 

Shortlisted applicants may also be invited to a roundtable among journalists, communicators, and social media influencers to explore innovative ways to inform the public and promote investigative journalism. 

Those whose proposals are approved will be assigned to a mentor who will provide guidance to the project. Every project will be verified and fact-checked. They will also be subject to legal and editorial review by the PCIJ.

The criteria for evaluating proposals will include:

  • Newness or freshness of story
  • Depth and rigor of research and reporting required
  • Potential for impact
  • Potential for engaging audiences
  • Innovativeness of storytelling
  • Track record of individual or team making the proposal

 

Disbursement of Funds 

30% upon approval of the project

50% at the midpoint of the project, and upon completion of agreed-upon deliverables

20% upon completion

 

Copyright and other Issues 

The creators of the work will own the copyright, but PCIJ will have the right to republish the works or include links or include the work on a Facebook page or Web platform for The PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling. 

No work funded by this Project can be released to the public without approval from the PCIJ. All outputs must credit The PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling or #pcij #storyproject.

 

Deadlines, Inquiries, and Submission 

Deadline for proposals is June 15, 2023. Send your questions to storyproject@pcij.org.

 

Follow PCIJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

— PCIJ