Founded in 1996, the highly competitive Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism awards yearlong, non-residential fellowships to journalists from the United States, Colombia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to report on a mental health topic of their choice. Shine’s Headline programme, in partnership with the Carter Center, is proud to announce the inaugural rollout of this prestigious fellowship in Ireland through the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism in the Republic of Ireland. The fellowship offers two Irish media professionals an outstanding opportunity to produce a unique and funded mental health project and to join a community of international fellows, experts and like-minded professionals. Fellows receive a generous stipend, US-based training, networking opportunities, and access to top experts and resources in mental health and journalism.
The goals of the fellowship are to increase effective and accurate reporting on mental health issues; equip journalists with the tools needed to produce high-quality work that reflects an understanding of mental health challenges, and develop a diverse cohort of better-informed journalists who can more effectively report on mental health across evolving and emerging platforms.
The application form for the fellowship can be downloaded here.
This document outlines how to submit a proposal for the fellowship.
The letter of commitment indicates that the media organisation for which you work or freelance is committed to affording you the time and editorial support to work on your project and to running your project once complete. This must be completed to be eligible for the fellowship.
The three goals of the fellowship are:
Applicants are encouraged to select topics that are unique and creative. Projects may educate the public, raise awareness, inform policy, explore solutions and challenge stigma. Projects that explore mental health issues or illnesses that are typically underrepresented in the media, such as schizophrenia or psychosis, for example, are particularly welcome. Similarly, projects which propose to investigate the mental health experience of particular high-risk social groups or communities in Ireland, such as the Travelling or farming communities, are encouraged. Other topics of particular significance in an Irish context, such as dual diagnosis or legacy issues, for example, are also recommended. Please note the preceding examples do not constitute an exhaustive list of appropriate project topics. Instead, their purpose is to provide a broad idea of the types of themes and topics of particular importance to the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in the Republic of Ireland (IJFP). Applicants must clearly demonstrate the relevance of their proposed project to the values and interest of the IJFP. Please also note that projects must include the voice of lived experience in order to be eligible. Visit the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship page on The Carter Center website for more ideas of successful pitches.
The fellowship programme has compiled a database of projects completed by Rosalynn Carter Fellows during their fellowship year. Click HERE to visit the Rosalynn Carter Fellows’ project database.
Shine’s Headline programme is rooted in representation work. Back when Shine was Schizophrenia Ireland, media representation of mental illnesses like schizophrenia was of a poor standard and often harmed those living with that experience. Headline was established to address this and work with Irish media on improving these representations. Headline’s work later evolved to include educating professionals and students on the media reporting guidelines and other areas of mental health media.
The Carter Center’s mental health journalism fellowship programme and its aims, are closely aligned with Shine’s values. Through its Headline programme, and with the support of the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship Programme in the US, we are delighted to now bring this opportunity to Irish media and their audiences.
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