New safety training competitions for freelance journalists launched, adjusted to take account of the pandemic Français
LONDON, ON, Aug. 17, 2020 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma has announced the re-opening of its annual Forum Freelance Fund (FFF) bursary competition for hostile environment and first aid training (HEFAT) with rules adjusted to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Winners will now have up to two years to take a HEFAT course, as they are gradually reinstated by course providers. It will also be possible for winners of these $2,500 CAD bursaries to take a combination of virtual and live training over this period. FFF bursaries can also be used to pay for refresher courses for journalists whose HEFAT qualifications may be out of date. Some of these are now being offered on a virtual basis.
A new companion competition will also provide a stream of smaller bursaries intended to help freelancers take advantage of topic-specific virtual safety courses now being offered by a variety of journalism and safety organizations in Canada and abroad. Initial funding has been provided for at least 15 bursaries of up to $400 CAD each.
Applications for both bursary streams are open from today. Separate online application forms for each type of bursary can be accessed through the Forum's website. The competition for the regular FFF bursaries will close on August 31. Mini-bursaries will be awarded on a continuing basis until funding is exhausted or the Forum announces its closure.
Forum president Cliff Lonsdale said: "These are unprecedented times for journalists, with the pandemic compounding other safety and stress issues. Many organizations have responded by offering a variety of virtual courses, dealing with handling the pandemic itself, with covering civil unrest, digital security and so on. Our mini-bursaries are designed to help Canadian freelancers and freelancers of other nationalities serving Canadian media, take advantage of these opportunities."
The regular FFF competition is run in association with the Rory Peck Trust (RPT), a UK-based charity for freelancers. The Forum and RPT are both members of the ACOS Alliance, an unprecedented coalition of news organizations, freelance journalist associations and press freedom organizations working together to champion safe and responsible journalistic practices for freelance and local journalists.
The FFF bursaries are sponsored by CBC News and supported by Radio-Canada and individual donors. The Forum in general is supported by The Globe and Mail and Cision.
Our thanks to Cision for supporting this announcement.
SOURCE Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma
Please see the Canadian Journalism Forum website http://www.journalismforum.ca or contact Jane Hawkes, Executive Producer, Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, 1-519 852-4946, [email protected]
Share this article