/ 9 December 2014

Wanted: Bhekisisa health journalism fellow

Wanted: Bhekisisa Health Journalism Fellow

Bhekisisa aims to advance the quality of health journalism in Africa by:
• Engaging in the best practice of health journalism;
• Transferring health journalism skills to other journalists; and
• Providing health journalism fellowships and organising public discussion forums on health-related issues for journalists.

Fellowship – call for South African applications
We have a vacancy for a fellow from a community newspaper in South Africa who would like to expand his or her skills in reporting on gender-based violence. The fellow should be a working journalist.

This is a prime opportunity to learn by working with a team of Mail & Guardian health reporters. The fellowship will be for three months, starting on March 1 2015.

This is not a fellowship aimed at students; it’s for a journalist currently employed by a community newspaper in South Africa, with an interest in expanding reporting on health and gender-based violence issues. Your application will not be considered if you’re not already employed by a community newspaper.

The successful candidate will be hosted at Bhekisisa’s offices in Johannesburg, and will need permission from his or her editor to be released for three months. Bhekisisa, with support from the United Nations Populations Fund, will pay a monthly stipend and housing allowance. The fellowship will also cover travelling expenses to and from Johannesburg.

Following the fellowship, the candidate will return to his or her current employment, and continue to receive assistance with reporting from the M&G Health Journalism Centre.

The successful applicant will:
• Be a journalist already employed by a community newspaper, with at least two years’ reporting experience;
• Want to hone his or her health journalism skills and increase knowledge on gender-based violence issues;
• Be able to produce story content which is of a high standard, accurate, fair and ethically sound;
• Be a self-motivator who can work independently and as a member of a team;
• Have a passion for health-related issues; and
• Be a South African citizen.

To apply, email your CV, a letter of motivation (one page maximum) and relevant story samples (maximum three) to [email protected]. Closing date: December 31 2014 

If you have not been contacted for an interview by January 20 2015, you should consider your application unsuccessful.