This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On April 21, 2020, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) launched a health reporting grant in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA). The grant aims to support journalists in their reporting on the coronavirus disease.
The grant, which ranges from Sh 1,000 to Sh 25,000, will help facilitate journalist reporting and coverage of the Covid-19 in Kenya. MCK CEO, David Omwoyo, noted that the Ministry of Health guidelines on the control of the virus have affected the work of journalists and that they need support to carry out their work.
“We are eager to see to it that journalists are facilitated to carry out their work in this environment of depressed incomes and economic activity. The media plays a critical role in public health messaging, and as such, we want to ensure that we do what we can to facilitate their work for the greater public good,” he said.
Successful applicants will undergo virtual training sessions facilitated by the Media Council of Kenya. The grant can be used for travel, communications, and other related costs in the research, interviewing, and compilation processes of the stories.
Applications for the grant closed on April 30, 2020, at midnight, after which they will be vetted by a team of experts announcing up to 50 grantees per week.
