[Reader-list] 9th CSE Media Fellowship on The Coastal Concerns of India

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

9th CSE Media Fellowship on The Coastal Concerns of India 
November 2009-January 2010 
 
The over-7,500 km of India’s coastline, holding more than 25 per cent 
of the country’s population, is a hotbed of anthropogenic activities -- 
industrial, commercial, and tourist. At the same time, Indian coasts 
are ecological treasure-troves housing more than 13,000 species of 
flora and fauna. 
 
 
Naturally, they are under tremendous pressure – from population, 
pollution, wastes, industrial activities and tourism. These pressures 
aggravate the ravages of increasing climate change-induced natural 
disasters like cyclones, tsunamis and sea level rise. The worst 
sufferers, besides the region’s ecological wealth, are the communities 
that depend on the seas and the coasts for their survival, such as 
fisherfolk. 
 
 
To protect India’s coasts and fishers, the Coastal Regulation Zone was 
notified in 1991. It was diluted to favour industry 21 times. In 2008, 
a new set of rules – Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) – also met with 
fishworkers’ protests. Now a ministry of environment and forests 
committee has offered a breather by recommending that the CMZ 
notification be allowed to lapse. 
 
 
Under its 9th Media Fellowship programme, Centre for Science and 
Environment invites journalists to study, investigate and report on the 
pressures, conflicts, impacts, actions and
 inactions that are being 
played 
out on India’s coasts. 
 
The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to travel to these regions 
to look at the issues and concerns at close range, and to write and 
comment on them. 
 
Suggested areas of research 
 
• Industrial development 
• Cities on the coast 
• Tourism 
• Climate change 
• Coastal habitats and their conservation 
• Communities and livelihoods 
• Legislation and regulation 
 
 
Duration 
  Two months – November 2009 to January 2010 – with one month of travel 
time and another month for research, writing, publication and 
submission of stories and features. 
 
 
Compensation and funding 
  Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of Rs 40,000 (subject to 
tax deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing 
between October and December 2009. 
 
The stipend will be released in two instalments – the first as a travel 
grant at the start of the fellowship programme and the second after its 
successful completion. 
 
 
Who can apply 
  These fellowships are open to Indian journalists only, including 
freelancers, photojournalists and television/video journalists. 
 
 
Applications must be accompanied by the following documents: 
 
• Curriculum20vitae 
 
• For print journalists, three samples of published work on development 
issues. By ‘published work’, we mean articles20published by / in 
national or regional newspapers or magazines. 
 
• Those writing in regional languages must have at least one of their 
articles translated into English. 
 
• For television and radio journalists, two samples of telecasted / 
broadcasted programmes on development issues – those telecasting / 
broadcasting in regional languages must also give a short written 
summary of the programme along with the CDs of the samples. 
 
• A letter of support from the editor that the output under the 
fellowship will be published / broadcast (mandatory for all candidates, 
including freelancers). 
 
• A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining (a) the subject/s and 
story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (b) tentative 
travel plans and (c) a list of people who might be interviewed. 
 
Last date for submission of applications 
 October 25, 2009 
 
Fellowships output 
 
  Selected applicants from the print media will be expected to generate 
feature and news article/s totalling 5,000 words, based on the research 
carried out under the fellowship. Original clippings of these articles 
will have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship 
programme. They will also be exp
ected to take and submit photographs of 
the areas they travel in for their stories. 
 
Selected applicants from the audio-visual media will be expected to 
generate either a single film/broadcast or a se 
ries of episodes, based on the research carried out under the 
fellowships. Video and audio CDs of these outputs will have to be 
submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme. 
 
  Note: Due to certain unforeseen circumstances, the recently announced 
Media Briefing Workshop on ‘The Coastal Concerns of India’, to be held 
at Goa in November, stands postponed. CSE will announce new dates for 
the workshop. 
 
Applications for the fellowship should be addressed to: 
 Shachi Chaturvedi 
Assistant Coordinator 
Media Resource Centre 
Centre for Science and Environment 
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area 
New Delhi 110 062 
Ph: 011-29955124, 29955125, Fax: 011-29955879 
Mobile: 98187 50007 
Email: shachi at cseindia.org