NOFO: Combating Misinformation in the Digital Media Era (Pakistan)

Deadline: 08-Apr-2024The U.S. Department of State’s Consulate General in Lahore announces a funding opportunity to build the capacity of 30 mid-to senior level Pakistani journalists/reporters from relatively new print, broadcast, and digital media outlets, to counter misinformation and disinformation in media reporting.

The six-month training program will consist of three-day quarterly workshops with U.S. subject matter experts. The program aims to empower journalists with the skills and knowledge to effectively counter misinformation and disinformation, ensuring accurate and responsible reporting. The series of workshops will be designed to cover the following topics: Understanding Misinformation/Disinformation; Digital Verification Tools; Ethical Reporting in the Age of Misinformation/Disinformation; Refutation Methods, Cross-Media Collaboration, Balancing Freedom of Press with Content Regulation, and Building Audience Trust. The project will be in-person.This program will aim to bring about positive change in the quality of news through capacity building of journalists in key areas including but not limited to enhancing digital literacy, inculcating a culture of collaboration and networking to verify information from more than one source, learning ethical reporting/journalism, technology integration, adopting safety measures, working on public awareness campaigns, and implementing feedback loops to receive constructive criticism to refine reporting processes.This program will help empower Pakistani journalists to be more resilient against misinformation/disinformation and will help foster a media environment that prioritizes accuracy, accountability, and responsible reporting.This program will aim to strengthen civilian democratic institutions and protect human rights.

Objectives

Increase the professional capacity of thirty (30) Pakistani journalists through training workshops on countering misinformation/disinformation.Participants to develop and publish thirty (30) stories showcasing the application of skills acquired in the training sessions.

Funding Information

Number of awards anticipated: One (1) awardAward amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $35,000 to a maximum of $50,000Total available funding: $50,000Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 12 months or less.

Target Audience

Thirty (30) mid-to senior level male and female Pakistani journalists/reporters from relatively new print, broadcast, and digital media outlets. Must ensure gender balance of audience at least 50% female.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizationsCivil society/non-governmental organizationsPublic and private educational institutions
For-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO. Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.

This opportunity will not support:

Projects relating to partisan political activity;Charitable or development activities;Construction projects;Projects that support specific religious activities;Fund-raising campaigns;Lobbying for specific legislation or programsScientific research or surveys;Commercial projects;Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;Projects that duplicate existing projects; orIllegal activities

For more information, visit Grants.gov.