Media Challenge Fellowship
About the Fellowship
The Media Challenge Fellowship Program is an aggressive multimedia journalism training program awarded to the best 26 students from the Inter-University Media Challenge, a practical reporting competition in 15 universities in Uganda.
The fellowship program is part of the Media Challenge Initiative strategic vision of building the next generation of journalists who are not only multi skilled but also critical participants as change agents in changing their communities and the negative African narrative.
Objectives of the
Media Challenge Fellowship Program
To further develop and consolidate fellows’ journalistic skills for social change.
To create a community of journalists to engage and promote critical storytelling.
To connect fellows to mentors in their fields of passion for career guidance and opportunities.
Pillars of the
Media Challenge Fellowship Program
The concept of building a “one woman/man – army journalist”: a journalist with multifaceted skills and knowledge;
Solutions journalism: reporting on solutions shown to be effective at addressing societal problems;
Journalism for social change: reporting that advances positive and equitable development within society;
Journalist leaders: nurturing fellows not only as skilled journalists but also as leaders in their communities and field of choice.
Testimonials
What are they saying
Taremwa Patricia
MCI Fellow 2018
The solutions journalism session made journalism golden. We had had sessions before but the solutions journalism session was like an in-depth study on journalism. It just made everything amazing. It gave me more reason to be a journalist
Mordecai Muriisa
MCI Fellow 2018
It was super, super exciting fun. Let me say extreme fun because I heard from the comments of my fellow fellows, they were commenting about how they were facilitated.
Ephraim Bukenya
MCI Fellow 2020
When you get the process of data visualization, you have a clear understanding of how data works. The Fellowship simply put everything out there for me to understand the power of data.
Florence Kabagenyi.
MCI Fellow 2020
Every journalism student should consider being a part of the Media Challenge Fellowship. If they get a chance to join, they should take it so seriously because the aspects you learn from the Fellowship are highly needed in the media.
Dan Ayebare
The American embassy cited my Mayuge story. Also, many solutions pieces I have done have been about work done by organizations. In most cases, these organizations cite the stories we publish. The story I published with the Guardian was republished by The Observer. Additionally, my stories helped me to get into the DW Constructive Journalism fellowship.
Bella Twine
I became an Africa Check Fellow from one of the stories I did earlier and was granted a fellowship program afterward which skills I use in my day to day fact-checking activities. Being a part of the innovators in residence and alumni, we have also benefited from having a space to operate, equipment, mentorship and guidance in day to day operations. The opportunity has also given me a platform to always showcase my public speaking skills, hosting, and panel skills, and also connected me to some opportunities in the same fields outside of the organization itself.
Achom Jannet Loy
Many of the proposals that I write have a call to action aspect, which has created a number of partnerships with private, governments, and international NGOs for social change. Currently I am working with VSF-Germany in collaboration to reach out to communities affected with malnutrition in Bor, South Sudan.
Olore Margret
I am now a one army journalist even if I am not in the mainstream media, I do multimedia stories. I am good writer and I can testify it because I get opportunities in writing field.
Gloria Irankunda
The MCI Alumni program has added value to my life career. It gave me the confidence to stand out wherever I go. There is that unique thing about me because of the MCI fellowship especially, integrity, looking at these things in a different perspective for example generating story ideas from where we live.
