Journalism Prize

Information on recipients

Call for Applications - 2007

25 January 2007

Wanted: critical journalism

New Zealand's only award for critical journalism is on offer again. The new Bruce Jesson Critical Writing Fund provides financial support of up to $3000 each year for critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing which will contribute to public debate in New Zealand on an important issue or issues.

Many people - journalists, academics, students, workers and people in all walks of life - have ideas for this kind of work, but can't afford to take the time off paid work, or need help with the cost of phone calls, books or travel. If you fit that description, we want to help you get the time and resources you need.

This is the fourth time the foundation has offered the award. Previous winners have been:

* 2004: Wellington researcher Tina McIvor for an investigation into Work and Income’s treatment of beneficiaries judged to be living in marriage-type

relationships; and writer Nicky Hager for a planned book on New Zealand foreign policy.

* 2005: Freelance journalist Jon Stephenson for a two-part report from Iraq which appeared in Metro magazine and won France's prestigious Prix Bayeux- Calvados.

* 2006: Wellington-based freelancer Amie Richardson for a series of investigative articles on rest homes. The first fruit of that research – an article about the closure of the Kimberley Centre for intellectually disabled people near Levin – appeared in the Listener late last year and more are due soon.

Our funds are limited too, and we want to be able to support more than one project in most years, so in most cases we aim to be a "top-up" fund to supplement other funds you can raise from other sources. However, in exceptional circumstances we will consider funding a project in full up to the limit of $3000.

Payment will be negotiable, but in general we expect to pay only part up-front, with the rest depending on agreed steps up to final publication of the work.

Our criteria are non-political and non-sectarian. The fund is open to anyone proposing in-depth analysis, regardless of your point of view.

Criteria

1. You propose to produce a work of critical, informed, analytical and creative journalism or writing which will contribute to public debate in New Zealand on an important issue or issues.

2. The work may take the form of an article, report, pamphlet, book, radio or television programme, film, website or any other publication which is aimed at, and accessible by, the general public of New Zealand or any part of New Zealand.

3. You have provided a detailed budget showing that you are unable to produce the work without advance funding to cover direct costs and/or living costs while researching or producing the work.

4. You have tried, and have been unable, to get adequate funds from all possible sources including, where appropriate, media outlets and other publishers. (This would clearly NOT be appropriate if the work will be critical of such media outlets or publishers).

5. You can demonstrate, at an interview and on the basis of past work and/or references, that you are capable of producing the proposed work with enough accuracy, insight and flair for it to have an impact in New Zealand public debate.

Applications

You can apply to this fund at any time, but we expect that we will normally allocate funds once a year. We are currently calling for applications with a closing date of March 31st 2007.

Please address applications to:
Bruce Jesson Critical Writing Fund,
Bruce Jesson Foundation,
c/o Gary Swift,
Watercare Services Limited
Private Bag
Wellesley St
Auckland.

Allocations

Funding will be allocated by the Bruce Jesson Foundation on advice from its Writing Fund Committee. The foundation reserves the right not to make any allocations. Its decisions are final.

The Bruce Jesson Foundation

The Bruce Jesson Foundation is a charitable trust, chaired by David Lange, that was set up after Bruce Jesson's death in 1999 "to promote activities designed to generate critical, informed, analytical and creative contributions to political debate in New Zealand", of a kind which Jesson exemplified in his journalistic career.

To date, we have held an annual Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture at Auckland University delivered so far by David Lange (2000), Brian Easton (2001), Chris Trotter (2002) and Jane Kelsey (2003). Texts of these lectures are available on our website, www.brucejesson.com .

The foundation is also committed to maintaining the inspiration of Bruce Jesson's own writings. One of our trustees, Professor Andrew Sharp, is editing an anthology of Jesson's shorter writings for publication within the next year.

Further information

Members of the Writing Fund Committee are happy to answer any questions. They are:
Rebecca Jesson, 09 521 8118,
Simon Collins, 09 373 6473 (work), 09 846 4699 (home), 021 612 423,
Finlay Macdonald,
or email: Bruce Jesson Foundation