The Center for Gun Violence Reporting at Community College of Philadelphia is accepting applications to participate in the Credible Messenger Project and cover the issues of gun violence and prevention in our city from the community perspective.
Credible Messengers are people who have had close personal experiences with gun violence, who are engaged in their communities and focused on solutions.
Here’s how it works
• Individuals from communities impacted by gun violence are invited to apply online now, tell us a little about themselves and about the stories they think need to be told.
• Journalists working in Philadelphia will be invited to review the applications and contact applicants.
• Together, each team will submit a brief proposal with more information, including a timeline and basic budget for a reporting project.
• The Center will review and approve projects.
• The reporting team will produce, edit and distribute news reporting to complete the project.
• The Center will make payments upon completion, based on the approved budget.
The Center will provide equal funding to both partners and cover related expenses, including stipends for story subjects from the community in some cases. Total budgets between $500 and $5,000 for each team project will be considered for approval.
We hope to see some of the resulting reports shared by local news organizations, while other might be more effective on social media platforms and we hope to find professional journalists learning more about engaging new audiences. The possibilities are endless.
Requirements
No reporting experience is required but may become a factor in selection. However, personal experience may be just as important.
All work related to this project must be performed according to city and state COVID restrictions. The Center will set up Zoom meetings if helpful.
All work produced with support from this project must be licensed according to Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. In other words, and individual or organization may republish the work.
The Center will not publicly publish applications but they will be visible to partnering professional journalists who have been accepted to the program.
All participants must be 18 years of age or older.
For more complete information please visit the Center for Gun Violence Reporting at PCGVR.org.
This is a pilot project and we want your feedback: Please contact us with any questions, concerns or recommendations.