What is the WLU Student Publications Investigative Journalism Grant?

Now in its inaugural year, the IJ grant is a fund that supplements the travel plans of WLU undergraduate students who wish to engage in investigative journalism. The program supports successful candidates in three ways:

Funding: Selected applicants will be given financial resources to accomplish their project, based on a proposed budget. There will be $2,500 available for up to 5 successful applicants, depending on the types of projects proposed.

Mentorship: Successful candidates will be provided with mentorship and training to develop the skills needed to produce a successful piece of investigative journalism, such as interview techniques and photography. Once they have gathered their research, they will be assisted with the process of turning that raw data into publishable material.

Publication: The articles and accompanying photographs will be published in an issue of The Cord Weekly or The Sputnik, depending on whether the student is from the Waterloo or Brantford campus. Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to host a blog on CordWeekly.com

What are the selection criteria?

Applicants will be selected based on the following criteria, as determined by the written application and/or interview:
• Quality of the story pitch
o Is it innovative?
o Is it appropriate as a piece of investigative journalism?
o Is the pitch newsworthy?
o Is it relevant to the WLU community?
o Is the research proposal well thought out?
• Demonstrated commitment to the completion of the project
• Travel plans are detailed and well thought out
Experience in journalism will be helpful but is not required. Not all applicants will be granted interviews; interviews will be offered based on merit of the application.

Deadline: TBD, 2009

Questions can be directed to Greg Sacks, President & CEO, by email at greg.sacks@wlusp.com or by phone: (519) 884 0710 x3565