U.S. Consulate General, Chennai Grant: Advancing Journalism Standards and Ethics in South India

The first tier of the training program will bring U.S. newspaper editors to work with their Indian counterparts about best practices, and common challenges. Local, vernacular papers would work with equivalent smaller city or town newspapers from the United States; whereas larger English dailies would work with editors from larger newspapers from the United States. Editors from U.S. papers would discuss larger issues of journalism ethics, as well ongoing career development for mid-career journalists. Editors from smaller U.S. papers would be charged with discussing how they cover international affairs and foreign policy in their local editions, and the role local papers have in educating the public about local, national, and international issues.
In order to improve standards and ethics within advertising departments, and improve the relationship between advertising managers and editorial staff, the second tier of this program would bring U.S. experts from leading news outlets to teach best practices in objectivity and how to maintain profitability. Management could work together on strategies on how to retain credibility when new media and citizen journalism is increasingly popular. Lastly, managers would discuss the best ways to recognize self-censorship to appease advertisers.

The last tier of this program would also include U.S. journalism programs partnering and working with graduate and postgraduate communications and journalism curriculum development. Although this tier of the training program would be focused on developing better curriculum, the larger goal would be to build linkages between U.S. and Indian degree programs, such as executive education programs, or online coursework for mid-career journalists.

Proposals should be based on the participation of 12-15 expert U.S. speakers: 2 editors, 1 advertising manager, and 2 journalism professors from the United States to work with their Indian counterparts in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The awardee must receive approval from the U.S. Consulate Chennai on the final list of invited expert speakers. The awardee will also invite editors and advertising managers from several vernacular and English language papers to participate in a given city in each of the aforementioned three states. The awardee working with the sub-awardees—Indian journalism schools in each of the three states—will also invite journalism professors to participate in the training program. The awardee must receive approval from the U.S. Consulate Chennai on the final list of invited participants.

Proposals must cover the myriad of expenses associated with the three-tiered program, from the development of the overall agenda and calendar, securing the participation of expert speakers to organizing and paying for airfare, transportation, and hotel logistics. The proposal should include all relevant administrative and logistical costs for organizing this training program, and a small event to decide on recommendations for improving India’s Press Freedom Index ranking. The awardee must develop budgets that include, but are not limited to, the following costs:

• Economy class roundtrip airfare, lodging, and per diem costs of expert speakers and appropriate awardee administrative staff to one city and major journalism program in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu
• Lunch and coffee/tea break service for speaker events and training sessions
• Agenda preparation
• All venue related expenses including the rental of space (utilities, back up generator, etc) if necessary
• Printed source and training materials
• Audio-visual requirements
• Travel Agency expenses

At the end of the training program, the awardee will work with a select team of newspaper editors and journalism professors from both countries to develop practical recommendations that they can publish through local journalism schools in each of the three states. Any publications must be approved in advance by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai and U.S. Embassy New Delhi.

A panel comprised of Consulate and Embassy staff members will review each complete proposal received before the application deadline. Please note that selected proposals will have to complete additional forms and registration documents within thirty days of notification in order to receive funding.

The awardee is encouraged to seek and find additional funding for this training program, subject to approval by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai and U.S. Embassy New Delhi.

The first tier of the training program will bring U.S. newspaper editors to work with their Indian counterparts about best practices, and common challenges. Local, vernacular papers would work with equivalent smaller city or town newspapers from the United States; whereas larger English dailies would work with editors from larger newspapers from the United States. Editors from U.S. papers would discuss larger issues of journalism ethics, as well ongoing career development for mid-career journalists. Editors from smaller U.S. papers would be charged with discussing how they cover international affairs and foreign policy in their local editions, and the role local papers have in educating the public about local, national, and international issues.
In order to improve standards and ethics within advertising departments, and improve the relationship between advertising managers and editorial staff, the second tier of this program would bring U.S. experts from leading news outlets to teach best practices in objectivity and how to maintain profitability. Management could work together on strategies on how to retain credibility when new media and citizen journalism is increasingly popular. Lastly, managers would discuss the best ways to recognize self-censorship to appease advertisers.

The last tier of this program would also include U.S. journalism programs partnering and working with graduate and postgraduate communications and journalism curriculum development. Although this tier of the training program would be focused on developing better curriculum, the larger goal would be to build linkages between U.S. and Indian degree programs, such as executive education programs, or online coursework for mid-career journalists.

Proposals should be based on the participation of 12-15 expert U.S. speakers: 2 editors, 1 advertising manager, and 2 journalism professors from the United States to work with their Indian counterparts in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The awardee must receive approval from the U.S. Consulate Chennai on the final list of invited expert speakers. The awardee will also invite editors and advertising managers from several vernacular and English language papers to participate in a given city in each of the aforementioned three states. The awardee working with the sub-awardees—Indian journalism schools in each of the three states—will also invite journalism professors to participate in the training program. The awardee must receive approval from the U.S. Consulate Chennai on the final list of invited participants.

Proposals must cover the myriad of expenses associated with the three-tiered program, from the development of the overall agenda and calendar, securing the participation of expert speakers to organizing and paying for airfare, transportation, and hotel logistics. The proposal should include all relevant administrative and logistical costs for organizing this training program, and a small event to decide on recommendations for improving India’s Press Freedom Index ranking. The awardee must develop budgets that include, but are not limited to, the following costs:

• Economy class roundtrip airfare, lodging, and per diem costs of expert speakers and appropriate awardee administrative staff to one city and major journalism program in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu
• Lunch and coffee/tea break service for speaker events and training sessions
• Agenda preparation
• All venue related expenses including the rental of space (utilities, back up generator, etc) if necessary
• Printed source and training materials
• Audio-visual requirements
• Travel Agency expenses

At the end of the training program, the awardee will work with a select team of newspaper editors and journalism professors from both countries to develop practical recommendations that they can publish through local journalism schools in each of the three states. Any publications must be approved in advance by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai and U.S. Embassy New Delhi.

A panel comprised of Consulate and Embassy staff members will review each complete proposal received before the application deadline. Please note that selected proposals will have to complete additional forms and registration documents within thirty days of notification in order to receive funding.

The awardee is encouraged to seek and find additional funding for this training program, subject to approval by the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai and U.S. Embassy New Delhi.