THE PROJECT
Canal France International (CFI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), SINGA and Maison des journalistes (MDJ) are implementing Voices in exile (“Voix en Exil”), a project to support and accompany journalists and media in exile in Paris, supported by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, in order to make France one of the main destinations for journalists in exile.
The role of journalists, media and civil society actors in exile is essential in disseminating reliable information to their fellow citizens who have remained in their country, to the diasporas, and to the rest of the world. Given the deterioration of the international context, the risk of a significant increase in the number of journalists and media forced to leave their countries is very high.
This project, with an initial duration of 3 years, was launched in April 2024 and aims to:
- Offer multidimensional support to journalists in exile in France wishing to continue their professional activity: socio-cultural support, psycho-social support, legal and administrative support, editorial, managerial and digital capacity building, networking, etc.;
– Editorial, managerial and digital capacity building, networking, etc.,
– Socio-cultural support, psycho-social support, legal and administrative support.
- Support these journalists in their professional careers and facilitate the realization of their projects, including the creation of new media;
- Contribute to sharing and creating links with existing initiatives to support journalists and media in exile in Europe.
4 cohorts of about fifteen beneficiaries will be welcomed and supported as part of this project until March 2027.
This call for applications is dedicated to the second cohort of this project that will benefit from support between April 2025 and January 2026 (6-month support program followed by a 3-month post-program).
THE BENEFICIARIES
The support is offered to independent journalists in exile already present in France and who wish to continue their journalistic project. The journalist can indicate if he or she has a dependent family (consisting of spouse and children). The person can also indicate their specific gender-related needs.
SUPPORT & GUIDANCE
Applicants will indicate the type(s) of support they wish to receive to pursue their journalistic project. The program will offer one or more types of support, depending on the needs expressed and the profiles of the candidates.
1- Support for daily life and installation in France:
- Administrative support* ;
- Social and cultural activities*;
- French lessons;
- Personalized psychological and psychosocial support;
- An accommodation solution in “Ile-de-France” for the duration of the program and support in finding accommodation for some selected journalists and, depending on the situation and under certain conditions, for their families.
2- Access to workspaces and equipment:
- A laptop;
- Access to a workspace*;
- Access to a podcast studio*.
3- Journalistic Capacity Building and Professional Support Program:
Within an incubator located in an ecosystem dedicated to creative industries and emerging media in Paris, several types of support will be offered to journalists :
- Training (security, disinformation, fact-checking, audience and social networks, editorial management and strategy, quality of productions, etc.)*;
- Mentoring and support for content production*;
- Support for socio-professional integration (exchanges and collaborations with French and European media, participation in dedicated events);
- Selective grants for content production.
4- Support in the ideation and development of the journalistic project:
- Workshops (administrative and financial management, business creation, viability of the business model, etc.);
- One-on-one mentoring and coaching.
*For all project beneficiaries
DURATION AND LOCATION OF THE PROGRAM
The second cohort of the project will receive support and guidance between April 2025 and January 2026. The support program lasts 6 months (April 2025 to October 2025). The post-program lasts an additional 3 months (October 2025 to January 2026).
The workspaces, the support programs and most of the activities will take place in Paris, in particular within the Gaité Lyrique.
Accommodation solutions for the journalists concerned will be located in “Ile-de-France”.
PROFILE & ELIGIBILITY
Applicants will be required to meet all of the following eligibility criteria:
- You work as a journalist, you are from a country outside the European Union and are in exile because of your journalistic activities, and you wish to settle temporarily or in the longer term in France;
- You already have a refugee status, or a residence permit, issued by the French State or you already have a residence permit and a travel permit issued by another country in the Schengen area;
- You have an information and/or a journalism project and are looking to develop it, whether it is in the process of being developed or at the initial stage of reflection (particular attention will be paid to projects already underway). The accepted formats include in particular: written, audiovisual, photographic, press cartoons;
- You want to take the time for several months to move forward on your project and/or to acquire new skills;
- You undertake to respect the principles of ethics and editorial independence specific to journalism according to the Munich Charter of 1971;
- You have a sufficient command of French and/or English (level B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as an oral working language (and you undertake to take French courses if necessary).
For more information on language levels: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34739
APPLICATION FILE
The application must contain:
- The attached form duly completed;
- Up-to-date CV;
- A detailed presentation of the journalistic project (1 page maximum) ;
- Portfolio or examples of media content available online;
- 2 professional references.
The application can be written in French or English and must be submitted via CFI’s secure call for applications platform.
SELECTION OF BENEFICIARIES
The selection of beneficiaries will be carried out in two stages:
- Step 1: Pre-selection after study of the application file;
- Step 2: Final selection of profiles after individual interview.
When selecting beneficiaries, the following will be given high priority:
1- The relevance and social impact, the informative vocation and the inclusive dimension of the proposed journalistic project:
- It must be demonstrated that the project, whether it is already advanced or still in conceptualization, is particularly relevant and has a social impact and that it makes it possible to fight against disinformation, particularly in the candidate’s country of origin but also in France;
- The project must allow target audiences (local or in other countries) to be informed;
- The project must contribute to the diversity of points of view, societal representations and freedom of expression.
2- Needs in terms of support and accompaniment: support will be given in priority to those whose projects are consistent with the objectives of the project and who report difficulty in setting up or continuing their projects in their current conditions;
3- The integration of the issue of gender equality in the editorial treatment which contributes to the appropriation of this notion and fights against gender stereotypes.
Applications from women journalists and journalists from marginalized communities (religious, ethnic, LGBTQ+, in particular) will be carefully considered in order to constitute diverse cohorts.
PRESELECTION COMMITTEE
The candidates’ application and file will be examined and decisions made by a panel composed of representatives of CFI, RSF, SINGA and Maison des journalistes, as well as a journalist interested in the program’s topics.
The selection will be made on the basis of the relevance of the candidate’s profile and project.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The evaluation criteria are:
Consistency and relevance of the candidate’s profile (/50)
- Life course and reasons for exile (including in relation to the press freedom situation and the political situation in the country of origin);
- Education and professional experience;
- Level of journalism experience and journalistic portfolio;
- Needs expressed, including gender-related needs and/or constraints and capacity to attend and adapt to the support program;
- Motivation to join the program in France;
- Availability to fully attend the program in France.
Coherence and relevance of the candidate’s journalistic project (/30)
- Relevance and coherence of the project with the objectives of the program;
- Degree of impact of the project (quality and balance of coverage, support for democracy and citizen participation, etc.);
- Ability to address target audiences and, where applicable, existing community on social networks;
- Experiences with independent media;
- Journalistic specialization (OSINT/Investigation/fact-checking, etc.);
- Sources/correspondents in the country of origin.
Oral interview of shortlisted candidates (/20)
For those shortlisted, an oral interview will take place in person or online.
CALENDAR
The activities offered within the support program vary according to the needs of the selected beneficiaires. Each cohort benefits from a 6-months support program followed by a 3-months post-program.
For this first call for applications for the project, the provisional timetable is as follows:
- January 16, 2025 – Launch of the call for applications
- January 28, 2025 – Online information session in French and English
- February 4, 2025 – Deadline for receipt of applications
- March 4 to 14, 2025 – Online or in person one-on-one interviews with preselected candidates
- April 2025 – Announcement of results and launching of the second cohort
If you have any other questions, please contact Elise Veyssière: elise.veyssiere@cfi.fr or Clara Alegre: clara.alegre@cfi.fr
