Rappler reopens application for the Aries Rufo Fellowship

Rappler, in partnership with the Journalism for Nation Building Foundation (JNBF) and the National Endowment for Democracy, is accepting new applications for the Aries Rufo Fellowship program.

Aimed at equipping local journalists with skills and knowledge to understand disinformation, how it works, and how journalists can effectively help address this problem, the program is being offered to at least four community journalists working in the Visayas and Luzon.

We will be assessing applications as we receive them. Interested applicants have until September 30 to submit.

Here are important details about the fellowship program:

• Local journalists in the Philippines based outside Metro Manila working in print, television, radio, or online media organizations may apply. The fellowship program is also open to freelancers.
• To assist in the data-gathering, research, and writing outputs, a monthly stipend of P12,500 will be made available to accepted fellows. 
• A series of training sessions will be conducted by senior editors of Rappler and other key members of its research and data teams. These will cover a wide range of topics that will help journalists understand and address disinformation, and do public interest journalism.
• Local fellows will write on election-related and other current issues, produce fact-check pieces, and conduct data-gathering and research.
• Fellows will work with Rappler staff in the months leading to the 2022 national elections. The program will end on May 31, 2022. 

The fellowship is in honor of the late investigative reporter Aries Rufo, who wrote for Newsbreak and Rappler on various issues, such as the Catholic church, judiciary, and elections. 

As part of Rappler’s many programs to fight disinformation, the fellowship seeks to foster collaboration among journalists, anchored on a shared goal of reporting and writing about issues relevant to their respective communities, fighting for truth, and combating disinformation. – Rappler.com