Commonwealth Digital Challenge for Young Media Professionals from Commonwealth Countries (Fully-funded to attend Commonwealth Summit in London) 2018

The Elizabeth R Media Fund is launching a new competition aimed at providing young and aspiring media managers from the Commonwealth with the skills and tools necessary to help their organisations face the digital challenges in their countries.

Application Deadline: 3rd November, 2017

Eligible Countries: Members of Commonwealth countries

To Be Taken At (Country): London, UK

About the Award: The Elizabeth R Broadcasting Fund was established  in 1995 to assist the development of broadcasting skills in the Commonwealth with a donation from Buckingham Palace. The donation came from royalties from “Elizabeth R”, the 1992 BBC documentary which marked the 40th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

It is a fitting choice as the foundation has, for over 50 years, helped raise standards of journalism and communications across the world and trained journalists and media managers from every Commonwealth country.

Entrants of the Contest will be asked to submit a 400-word statement, in English, outlining a particular challenge posed to their organisation, or media sector, in their country together with a potential business case for how it could be addressed. Twenty applicants will be invited to take three online modules in digital skills and newsroom management from the Thomson Foundation’s online Journalism Now programme.

The most successful of the 20, in the opinion of the judges, will be invited to spend a week’s intensive study of UK media organisations in London, during Commonwealth Week 2018, followed by online mentoring by Thomson Foundation consultants for 12 months. The winner will lead a virtual conference of the top 20 applicants and UK media mentors focusing on how the media can react to the challenges thrown up by the topic of Commonwealth Week.

Applicants must submit their initial entry by midnight GMT on Friday, November 3rd, 2017. Shortlisted applicants must be able to take the online modules between November 15th, 2017 and January 31st, 2018. The overall winner will be expected to spend the week of April 16th, 2018 in London. If s/he is not able to do so, the prize will go to the second most successful applicant.

Type: Contest

Eligibility: 

• Applicants must be citizens of a Commonwealth member country, excluding the UK.
• The competition is open to journalists and media managers working for a media organisation in the public or private sectors.
• Entrants must be journalists or media managers, aged between 28 and 35, on April 1st, 2018.
• The competition organisers may request documentation to verify an entrant’s age and employment status.

Value of Award: 

• The overall winner will be invited to spend a week’s intensive study of UK media organisations in London, with all expenses paid, during the week of the Commonwealth Summit in London in April, 2018.
• It will be followed by 12 months’ mentoring by industry professionals overseen by the Thomson Foundation – the world’s longest-established media development organisation.

How to Apply: To enter, simply complete the competition entry form by Friday 3rd November, 2017.

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Award Providers: Elizabeth R Broadcasting Fund