Group opens applications for West Philippine Sea reporting workshop

This is a press release from IMPL. Project.

Nonprofit organization IMPL. Project, together with media production company Project V Media, is calling for applications for its West Philippine Sea reporting workshop from July 8 to 9 in Metro Manila. 

The two-day workshop, dubbed “Panatag at Bagabag: The West Philippine Sea Reporting Workshop,” is being organized by IMPL. Project, a nonprofit organization focused on data-driven solutions for international development and stability. 

Highlighting key local issues involving the West Philippine Sea, the program includes lectures and workshops designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to develop quality reports on West Philippine Sea issues. 

It also aims to equip young and emerging journalists with the necessary tools to effectively navigate and report on the intricate issues surrounding the West Philippine Sea, as well as the communities impacted by them.

The workshop is open to journalism students and graduates, campus journalists, students who have research papers related to the West Philippine Sea or fisherfolk livelihood, and media professionals with up to five years of experience. 

Registration and participation in the program is free of charge. At least 60 participants will be selected from the pool of applications. Interested applicants may register here until Tuesday, July 4, at 11:59 pm. 

The event includes a plenary session that will help the participants understand the complex issues at stake in the West Philippine Sea conflict and learn the importance and impact of media coverage on WPS issues.

Workshop sessions also include Social Media Best Practices and Multimedia Reporting, Methodology on Fact-checking and Verification, In-depth or Feature Reporting, and Journalism Ethics.

After the workshop, five qualified and promising participants will also be chosen to conduct on-ground research on the fisherfolk community in Masinloc, Zambales in August. 

They will receive mentoring and financial support worth P25,000 each to develop and publish output focused on issues negatively impacting the West Philippine Sea environment and surrounding communities. The output may be in the form of an article, a multimedia report, a photo essay, a documentary, or other journalistic output.

The location of the practicum exercise will be in Masinloc, Zambales where IMPL. Project has a presence. Grantees will be introduced to the local team in Masinloc who can connect them with local fisherfolk affected by the West Philippine Sea conflict. The IMPL. Project team in Zambales will also assist the grantees in case they need help in their data-gathering, research, interviews, filming, or other reportorial requirements.

Grantees, however, are still welcome to pursue their stories in different localities and communities affected by the West Philippine Sea conflict.

Story development and data gathering will start right after selection of grantees in July. Grantees must publish their output by September 2023, either in mainstream/legacy media, school paper, community media, or online/social media. 

For inquiries, you may contact at impl.journworkshop@gmail.com. – Rappler.com