The Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellowship is one of the biological babies of the Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).
The FRLP is usually organised every year, depending on the availability of funds. Female Reporters in African countries usually apply for this fellowship immediately the call for application opens.
Over the years, I have heard repeated complaints from applicants saying that it is a difficult fellowship to be accepted into. Others insisted that they were tired of applying.
Nothing good comes easy. Do not get tired of applying, because the fellowship is not just a life changer, but also a career catapult.
I believe there is something you can do to earn a slot. You must not forget that hundreds of ladies are jostling for it. Give it your all.
Here are tips for you, prospective applicants
READ ALSO: Report Women: WSCIJ, Mentors, Inspire Fellows As Idris Akinbajo Shares Gold
- If you are interested in applying, do not wait until a few days before the closing date to apply.
- When applying, do not rush to fill in the Google form; think through your answer.s
- While applying, remember that it is all about becoming a leader in the Nigerian media ecosystem.
- Ensure you have some investigative story samples in your kit
- If you are not sure of some areas in the Google form, ask your colleagues; nobody has a monopoly on knowledge
- Before applying, ensure that you have at least two investigative story pitches you are going to present, just in case your application is accepted
- Ensure you have a clear understanding of what an investigative story is all about
- Fall in love with your investigative story idea; it is that passion that will push you to achieve it
- Let your investigative story come with multimedia, Data journalism if possible
- Also have at least two ideas on the type of leadership project you would like to carry out (Leadership Project is an initiative you want to carry out to impact and impart the journalism world, newsroom, and media organisation)
- Collaborate with other fellows to share your story after publication
- Your leadership project should be an initiative you can sustain for years to come, a project you can make an income from
- Ensure your Leadership project has a feedback mechanism, whereby journalists or audience you impart, can also go ahead to impart to others
- Ensure you have a platform where your leadership project activities can be seen, checked out, measured or judged by an interested audience
- If you are accepted to the programme, create a schedule between meeting its timeline and your office work
- Do not work with an attitude of ‘I still have time.’ You will fail.
- Remember that the fellowship is not just going to forcibly forge a better version of you, but it comes with a competitive edge and benefits.
- Work to fall into the first, second and third position, which comes with many rewards.
- During the programme, you will have a mentor assigned to you, however, you can reach out to other mentors for. help
- Make use of the experiences of former fellows, reach out to them, and ask questions.
If you are a fellow, mentor, and journalist, and you have other suggestions to add to this inexhaustible list, please do share in our comment section or fire an email to us.
