Journalists-in-Residence

Journalists-in-Residence Germany

Support for journalists under threat

Providing a safe haven in Leipzig for journalists at risk

ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence (JiR) programme offers temporary shelter for journalists facing harassment and intimidation as a direct result of their work. Journalists get the chance to rest and recuperate in a safe and discreet place, and also to continue their investigative work at their own pace and use their time in Leipzig for networking and finding solidarity. The JiR programme lasts for either three or up to six months, and includes a rent-free furnished apartment in Leipzig, as well as a monthly stipend to cover basic living costs. It also covers visa expenses, health insurance, and digital security training. Based on individual needs, the programme can also cover travel costs, psychological counselling, and other journalism-related training sessions on topics like mobile reporting and social media management.

 

As of 2022, we also offer JiR fellowships for Ukrainian journalists in Kosovo. More information about JiR Kosovo can be found here.

 

What can the JiR programme provide?

  • safe and discreet place to continue investigating and publishing, to rest and to recover (max. 6 months)
  • rent-free, furnished apartment in Leipzig
  • health insurance
  • psychological counselling (optional)
  • monthly stipend of 1,000 euros
  • travel expenses to and from Leipzig (arrival and departure)
  • visa costs
  • participation in journalism-related trainings
  • networking opportunities
  • a workplace in the ECPMF office and the opportunity to work (pro bono) with ECPMF’s press team on self-selected subjects

Eligibility criteria

In order to participate in the JiR programme you should: 

  • Be a legal resident in a European Union member state or candidate country, a member state of the Council of Europe, or a resident of Belarus or Russia
  • Hold a valid passport
  • Provide at least two references from reputable human rights or media organisations confirming at least 3 years of journalistic work and the threat situation faced as a result of their journalistic activity 
  • Have verifiable English, German, or Russian language skills (at least A2-level)

How to apply

In order to apply for the JiR Programme, please send the following documents to journalistsinresidence@ecpmf.eu along with:

After a comprehensive review process, the selected fellows will be invited to Leipzig for the Journalists-in-Residence Programme.

 

Information for international temporary relocation institutions:

ECPMF takes over appropriate cases of media professionals at risk that have already been fact-checked by its network partners and provide relocation fellowships in Leipzig to enable a swift reaction to urgent cases. For this purpose, please get in contact with the JiR Programme Manager at journalistsinresidence@ecpmf.eu

JiR Alumni 

Journalists-in-Residence Kosovo

 

The JiR Kosovo Programme is financed by the Government of Republic of Kosovo and enables 20 individual Ukrainian journalists and media workers to relocate to Kosovo for a period of up to six months with the possibility of extension depending on the developments in Ukraine. Journalists arriving in Kosovo will have the status of internationally protected individuals.

 

To be eligible, journalists and media workers must have lived in Ukraine in 2022, hold a valid Ukrainian passport, have been working as professional journalists for at least three years, and speak at least basic English.

 

Successful candidates are provided with 1,000 euro for relocation, a monthly stipend of 500 euro, and 300 euro for rent. They will have access to an office space, to health insurance, and to language and integration courses. Upon request, the candidates will have access to psychological support.

 

To apply, please send the following documents to journalistsinresidence@ecpmf.eu:

  1. Application form and questionnaire
  2. CV
  3. Copy of passport
  4. Reference letter from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) or the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU)

JiR Interviews

Journalists in Residence – Milan

As part of the MFRR, we have launched a JiR programme in Milan, Italy, coordinated by Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBC Transeuropa) and Q Code for at-risk journalists and media workers in the EU and Candidate Countries.

 

The offer includes a three-month residency in Milan and a tailored support programme. Journalists and media workers of any nationality who are experiencing risk/threat/intimidation as a direct result of their journalistic work are eligible to apply for this programme.

Funded by:

Related news

Journalists in Residence

Behind the Lens in Belarus: Documenting the Fight for Democracy

To mark International Day of Solidarity with Belarus, we spoke to a Belarusian photojournalist about the country’s future, connecting with audiences in exile, documenting human rights abuses, and what needs to be done to truly show solidarity with Belarus.

READ MORE
Press release

2023 IJ4EU Impact Award Jury Announced

The Jury for the 2023 IJ4EU Impact Award has been officially announced.

READ MORE
Support

Pitting Their Words Against Annihilation – Support Ukrainian Journalists!

Russia’s regime does not only want to conquer Ukraine, but to destroy it on a cultural level. That is why journalists, too, have been placed on Russian death lists. Despite this they keep on working. We must help them make their voices heard, much more than up until now.

READ MORE
Support

Один рік війни проти України: Вони борються проти знищення слова – підтримайте українських журналісток і журналістів!

Російський режим хоче не тільки захопити Україну, він хоче знищити її культуру. Тому у російських списках смертників стоять також імена журналістів. Попри все вони продовжують працювати. Ми повинні зробити все, щоб їх почули, наполегливіше, ніж будь-коли.

READ MORE
Support

Ein Jahr Krieg gegen die Ukraine: Sie setzen der Vernichtung ihr Wort entgegen – unterstützt ukrainische Journalist*innen!

Russlands Regime will die Ukraine nicht nur erobern, sondern kulturell vernichten. Deswegen stehen auch Journalist*innen auf russischen Todeslisten. Trotzdem arbeiten sie weiter. Wir müssen ihren Stimmen Gehör verschaffen, viel mehr als bislang.

READ MORE
Support

“Evolution will defeat degradation, light will overcome darkness, and democracy will triumph over authoritarianism”

One year on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we spoke to Kateryna Bachynska, a journalist from Kyiv, about her memories from 24 February 2022, its impact on media in Ukraine, and collective memory of the war.

READ MORE