COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship

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About COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship

The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP), led by Internews’Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, is pleased to announce the COP30 CCMP Reporting Fellowship Program for journalists from low- and middle-income countries interested in covering the 30th United Nations Climate Chnage Conference of the Parties (COP30). Hosted this year by Brazil, the conference is scheduled to take place in the city of Belém from November 10-21, 2025, with the World Leaders’ Summit on November 6-7.

Now in its 18th iteration since its launch in 2007, the CCMP has brought more than 500 journalists from low- and middle-income countries to attend and report on the annual UN climate talks. This has enabled journalists from around the world to cover the climate negotiations for their home audiences, while benefiting from working alongside knowledgeable media trainers and gaining a multifaceted understanding of how nations are responding—or failing to respond—to climate change's global impact.

This year, the COP organizers are anticipating logistical challenges and potentially a shortage of accomodation for conference attendees as the annual climate summit is hosted for the first time in a relatively small city situated in the Amazon rainforest.    

Given the uncertainties around accommodation, the COP30 CCMP Reporting Fellowship will invite applications from journalists from low- and middle-income countries* to report in-person during COP30, with the exact dates and number of selected fellows to be confirmed by September. Some elements of the CCMP fellowship program may be adjusted to match realities on the ground. Journalists interested in this opportunity should be comfortable with the possibility of shared housing and/or attending in person for only part of the two-week summit.

In addition, this year the fellowship program will support at least four CCMP virtual fellows from the Pacific Islands* to report on COP30 remotely, with daily support and guidance from a media trainer in Belém, Brazil. 

Story logistics 

Fellows are expected to produce multiple stories for their media house during the course of the fellowship. Journalists may produce stories in any medium, including print, online, radio, broadcast and more. 

Throughout the program, participating journalists are free to report as they see fit; however, as part of our program we may provide extra training or activities related to certain thematic topics, and encourage stories on these topics. We do ask that fellows adhere to some basic editorial standards (which will be shared at the start of the fellowship) and these guidelines: 

Language of publication: Stories produced as a result of this fellowship can be in any language. We ask that fellows provide high-quality English summaries of stories produced in other languages and fully translate at least one of their stories into English so it can be shared with a wider audience. Fellows may use a tool like DeepL or other automated translation apps for this purpose.

Acknowledgement of support: Published stories and/or broadcasts must disclose CCMP support by including this tagline, “This story was produced as part of the Climate Change Media Partnership COP30 Reporting Fellowship, organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.”

Republication rights: Those who are awarded fellowships are free to publish or broadcast stories produced as a result of the fellowship first in their affiliated media as long as Internews’ EJN, its local and regional partner sites and the grant funders are also given rights to edit, republish, broadcast and distribute them freely. Stories from COP30 that are filed by participating journalists may be republished on EJN’s website and may be cross-posted on the Stanley Center’s website.
 

• Sponsor Organisation: Earth Journalism Network (EJN)

Benefits of COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship

In-person CCMP Fellows will travel to Belém to attend the UN climate negotiations in November 2025, with specific arrival and departure dates to be determined. Fellowship support includes: 

• Operational and logistical support: The CCMP will cover non-refundable economy-class airfare, accommodation, meals, travel medical insurance and ground transportation costs related to Fellowship participation. Organizers will also facilitate the press accreditation process and provide logistical support relating to the trip. Please note that the process of obtaining any necessary visas is the fellow's individual responsibility, though the CCMP will reimburse visa costs.
• Accommodation: Given the uncertainties around accommodation, applicants should be comfortable with the possibility of shared housing.
• Financial support: Selected fellows will be provided a small stipend to offset the cost of meals and other incidental expenses related to the fellowship.
• Reporting resources and editorial support: Fellows will be guided by EJN trainers, who are senior journalists with experience covering UN climate summits. Prior to the start of COP30, fellows will receive informational resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting at the conference, including a pre-COP virtual workshop to meet the trainers, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions. Once in Belém, fellows will participate in an in-person orientation session with seasoned climate journalists and experts on the key issues at this COP and specially designed activities on the ground, including daily briefings and 1-1 discussions with mentors. They will have access to a Trello board for ease of access to resources on-the-go and be part of a group chat to share information, discuss and ask questions on a safe and secure platform. Fellows will also be encouraged to seek feedback from EJN trainers on story ideas and drafts throughout the fellowship.
• Opportunities for interviews: Fellowship organizers will arrange group interviews with high-level officials and subject matter experts.
• Opportunities for networking: Fellows will be encouraged to attend networking mixers with other journalists and participate in cohort-building activities including group meals and/or local excursions. Selected fellows may also be invited to participate as speakers or moderators at official and/or unofficial side events taking place during the summit.

CCMP virtual fellows will cover the COP remotely from their home countries and will participate in program activities primarily on Zoom. Fellowship support includes: 

• Financial support: Virtual fellows will be provided with a communications stipend to ensure they are able to maintain a stable internet connection throughout the fellowship.
• Reporting resources and editorial support: Fellows will be guided by an EJN trainer, who is a senior journalist with experience covering UN climate summits. Prior to the start of COP30, Fellows will receive informational resources and technical support to help prepare for reporting about the conference, including a pre-COP virtual workshop to meet the trainer, discuss reporting opportunities, and ask any questions. The CCMP will provide access to livestreams, recordings, and other resources to enable virtual fellows to watch COP proceedings and report effectively virtually. Fellows will participate in other specially designed virtual activities, including regular briefings and 1-1 discussions with mentors. They will have access to a Trello board for ease of access to resources on-the-go and be part of a group chat to share information, discuss and ask questions on a safe and secure platform. Fellows will also be encouraged to seek feedback from EJN trainers on story ideas and drafts throughout the fellowship.
• Opportunities for interviews: Fellowship organizers will arrange group interviews with high-level officials and subject matter experts on Zoom when possible.

COP30 Climate Change Media Partnership Reporting Fellowship Requirements

To be eligible for the fellowship, the applicant must: 

• Be a professional journalist from or representing an established media house and reporting from a low-and middle-income country in the list below.*
• Must not have attended a UNFCCC climate COP before—either self-funded or as part of a fellowship.
• Those applying for the in-person fellowship must be available and willing to travel to Belém to attend COP30 in person.
• Have a good command of the English language.
• Have previous experience reporting on climate change issues and clearly indicate the kinds of stories you might pursue during the conference.
• Commit to participate in all fellowship activities.
• Share an up-to-date resume/CV.
• Share a video, no more than 2 minutes in length, explaining what you will be reporting on at COP30.
• Provide a letter of support from an editor, producer, or supervisor who can confirm that your news reports will be published or broadcast in an established media outlet. Freelancers are welcome to apply but must provide a signed letter of support from a media outlet for which they intend to report, which commits to publishing the stories they produce as part of this fellowship. Applicants should carefully consider their chosen outlet’s reach, article format, audience and publication schedule to ensure it aligns with the rigorous and fast-paced nature of reporting from COP30.
• Provide recent, relevant and journalistic work samples on climate change topics that were published between 15 July 2024 to 15 July 2025, which can be uploaded as documents or web links. Stories should be focused on specific climate change topics relevant to the applicant’s country—broad or general stories will be less competitive. Stories can be in any language as long as they are accompanied by a short English synopsis. 

Note: You'll be asked to upload these supporting documents once you start the application process, so please have them ready. 

• Journalists applying for the in-person fellowship must be reporting from a country in this list of eligible countries (updated on June 17 , 2025). These countries were chosen because they are low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank.
• Journalists applying for the virtual fellowship must report from these Pacific countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna. Journalists originally from the Pacific Islands now living in New Zealand or Australia are eligible to apply, as long as they are reporting for media outlets whose audiences are in the Pacific Islands. 
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.

The CCMP reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, plagiarism and submitting AI-generated content as their own.

Judging criteria 

They are looking for applicants who:

• Have demonstrated experience covering climate change, climate policy and other environmental topics;
• Have reported recently on climate change and can provide two work samples focused on climate change themes that were published in the last year;
• Have developed a clear and well-researched reporting plan for the COP, including potential story ideas. Please review past COP programmes and agendas and ensure your reporting plan is as specific and detailed as possible;
• Are able to provide an estimated number of stories they’ll produce during the Fellowship;
• Have a relationship with an established media house and a signed letter of support from an editor agreeing to publish or broadcast work produced at the COP.

Application Date and Process

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Application Deadline

15 July, 2025

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