The Pulitzer Center, a nonprofit organization that supports independent global journalism, is now accepting applications for a new reporting initiative focused on climate change and its effects on workers and work.
This ambitious initiative, Our Work/Environment, seeks to explore the global climate risks playing out in fields and on factory floors and being discussed in company boardrooms. As the world heats up, what jobs and employment sectors, what factory practices, what sorts of manufacturing–from computer chips to batteries to food production to fast-fashion–are threatened or must change?
What factors will affect work? Heat, yes. Competition for water, for sure. We want you to reveal the real-world problems of working as temperatures rise, and then tell us much more. Stories that document the impact on labor rights and the livelihoods of some of the world’s most vulnerable workers—including women who are often heads of household—as well as those that document companies that are working on solutions, and which are aiming for sustainability at scale, are of interest. We encourage stories that help inform the public about the interconnected nature of business, climate, and consumer choices. We welcome stories that explain policy in real terms and plumb legal suits, when useful.
We encourage freelance and staff journalists with ambitious enterprise and strong in-depth reporting ideas to apply for Pulitzer Center support to cover the intersection of labor and climate in their communities. We are particularly interested in reporting from regions in Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. All types of formats are welcome: print, digital, broadcast TV, radio, and film projects, as well as data and computer-assisted journalism. We encourage vivid, innovative storytelling that can be shared across platforms and in multiple languages.
The amount awarded depends on the scope and complexity of the project, the media formats involved, and the distribution plan. For advice on applying for a Pulitzer Center grant, please visit our Writing a Successful Grant Proposal tipsheet.
This grant opportunity is now open, and applications will be reviewed on a first-come, rolling basis. We will prioritize proposals that can be completed, including publication, in one-four months.
The Our Work/Environment initiative is coordinated by editors Christine Spolar and Steve Sapienza with the support of Executive Editor Marina Walker Guevara and the Pulitzer Center’s Editorial team.
What we don’t fund
To save our grantees and staff time, we thought it would be helpful to outline editorial products and project expenses we don’t fund:
- Books (we can support a story that might become part of a book, as long as the story is published independently in a media outlet)
- Feature-length films (we do support short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans)
- Staff salaries
- Equipment purchases (equipment rentals are considered on a case-by-case basis)
- An outlet’s general expenses (for example rent, utilities, insurance)
- Seed money for start-ups
- Routine breaking news and coverage
- Advocacy/marketing campaigns
- Data projects aimed solely at academic research. Data should be developed to enhance/support journalism.
