Investigative Journalism: Refocusing the Refugee Debate

The Samir Kassir Foundation (SKF) is launching a call for proposals for investigative reports that examine and address the political, social and/or economic environment and debate around the presence and impact of the Syrian refugees on Lebanon.

Background: SKF is a non-governmental organization that works to defend media freedom, cultural diversity, and democratic values in Lebanon and the Arab world. SKF has been increasingly active in combatting hate speech and disinformation, which are being weaponized to promote fear, complacency, and reactionary political agendas. Marginalized groups in Lebanon are the most affected by hateful narratives. SKF launched a two-year monitoring program in 2021 to identify targets and perpetrators of hate speech in the media landscape and published the results in a comprehensive report in March 2023. The findings from the monitoring indicate that hate speech is an organized endeavor rather than an individual’s reaction to a situation or a people. There are engines that drive the propagation and expansion of hate and disinformation that target a certain character, group, or institution.

Objective: The objective of this call for proposals is to support journalists in Lebanon to conduct an in-depth analysis and examination of the discourse around the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, exposing disinformation and uncovering truths about the different aspects of the issue. Investigative work can focus on any of the different aspects of the life of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, including labor dynamics, legal challenges, social tensions, international community support and others.

Eligibility: For this call we are accepting submissions from individual journalists only. Journalist collaborations and joint submissions from 2 or 3 journalists are also accepted. Media organizations are not eligible to apply. Applicants must demonstrate that they have a proven track record of producing quality investigative reports on political and social issues (experience working on issues related to the Syrian refugee crisis is an advantage).

Eligible proposals must demonstrate a structured approach to conducting the investigative approach and must describe the topic(s) they will address and the investigation strategy.

Funding: SKF will provide grants of up to $7,000 (Seven United States dollars) to the selected candidates. The amount will depend on the medium that candidates choose for their report. The grants will be disbursed in three installments: 40% upon signing the contract and the submission of a work plan, 40% upon submission of a mid-term narrative progress update, and 20% upon submission of the full investigative report.

Project Duration: The project duration is 3 months.

Program Start Date: September 10, 2024.