PRB is soliciting applications from radio journalism experts or radio development organizations to implement podcast production training in Africa or Asia on environment and reproductive health themes.
The selected partner will provide training in audio production including sound and narrative capture and editing, as well as support identifying and mapping themes for long-form audio storytelling. The partner will provide start-to-finish technical support for teams of radio journalists, community radio groups, or tech savvy advocates. Teams will select a reproductive health and environment, population, gender, or youth theme to explore deeply. The finished podcast series will be distributed in participants’ countries and communities through radio and will reach an international audience with dissemination online.
The goals of this project are to build the skills and competitiveness of participating teams by introducing new storytelling formats and skills, and to share community and national stories about environment and reproductive health topics with an international audience. We hope the project will encourage understanding, communication, and solutions around series themes.
The partner must be able to conduct training both in-person and virtually; the presence of staff based in Africa or Asia will be considered an asset. The training content and curriculum will focus on:
- An in-depth format and creative style that examines and explains complex topics, emphasizing the gathering and use of compelling natural sound, soundbites, and strong narrative development.
- Credible data use and information sourcing, including source diversity and first-hand perspectives.
- Scripting and editing to present the most engaging content.
- Opportunities for all team members to try different roles, including hosting.
- Broad dissemination and shaping stories that appeal to people across borders.
The training will take place from May-September 2021, with planning to begin immediately after selection of the partner. Tasks to be carried out within this period include:
- Support application review and participant selection.
- Facilitate or co-facilitate virtual training sessions, guiding participants comprehensively through series production using PRB’s Podcast Training Curriculum.
- Organize series broadcast on at least two radio stations.
- Coordinate podcast hosting and launch, including promotion.
PRB will create a subaward with one partner to fulfill this scope of work. The partner will work with PRB media programs staff to select participating teams and decide training formats.
Additional details on the eligibility, application process and timeline, and the scope of work can be found here. The application form can be found here. Submit the questions and proposals to Alana Barton at abarton@prb.org. Responses to questions will be shared with all interested partners. Questions are due by 5:00pm EDT on May 7, 2021 and applications are due by 5:00pm EDT on May 14, 2021. PRB expects to make an award in late May.