Media Grants: $10,000 available for a journalism project

Media Grants: $10,000 available for a journalism project

Applications now open. Closing date 8 November 2013

Are you a journalist with a passion for your profession and a desire to make a difference?

Applications are open for the 2013 NZ Mental Health Media Grants, which focus on increasing understanding and reducing stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes project proposals from journalists, photojournalists and those freelancing in radio, TV, print and online media. Journalism and photojournalism students may also apply.

“In 2013 we have $10,000 available for one journalism project, thanks to the generous and ongoing support of the Frozen Funds Charitable Trust,” MHF chief executive Judi Clements says. “This year there is the added challenge of a theme, Connections.”

Ms Clements says that applicants have six weeks to put forward proposals that seek to tell the stories of people with experience of mental illness and their positive connections to family/whanau, community and employment.

The proposed stories must be shared in such a way that they decrease stigma and discrimination and increase awareness and understanding associated with experience of mental illness. Project proposals need to be based in New Zealand and benefit New Zealanders.

“We’ve had some exciting journalism projects over the past five years,” Ms Clements says. “Some – such as Amanda Cropp’s North and South feature No Refuge, Yvonne O’Hara’s newspaper supplement Down on the Farm, and Guy Frederick’s photojournalism exhibition The Space Between Words – have all received formal recognition and awards for the quality of their work.”

Applications close 8 November and recipients will be announced in late December.

Interested applicants can read the important information, check the eligibility, criteria and guidelines, and fill in an application form by going to www.mediagrants.org.nz

• Important information: http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/page/135-2013-applications
• Eligibility, criteria and guidelines: http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/page/1250-2013-applications+eligibility-criteria-and-guidelines
• Application form: http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/page/1251-2013-applications+application-form

ENDS

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