What is the MSF Eastern Africa Media Fellowship?  

• The MSF EA Media fellowship is an initiative by the MSF institutional office in Eastern Africa (MSF EA) to support and build journalists' capacity to tell impactful stories about the various humanitarian issues facing communities in Eastern Africa, particularly in areas where MSF operates.  
• The pilot edition was launched in 2024 and initially targeted Kenyan journalists. In 2024, the fellowship supported three Kenyan journalists to travel to MSF projects in Kenya (Nairobi and Homa Bay) and South Sudan (Renk, Twic) to report their stories.  
• In 2025, the fellowship has expanded its coverage to support more journalists from the region, specifically from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Tanzania. These countries were chosen as they are places which have significant humanitarian needs, as well as an MSF operational presence.

How do you select fellows?

There are multiple steps to the selection of fellows:  

• As per the fellowship webpage, journalists apply with initial pitch proposals. They are then selected on both the strength of their pitches and being able to meet the following criteria; minimum three years’ experience as a journalist; a reference letter; three published stories; affiliation with a media organisation or accreditation with their relevant regulator; and commitment to travel and publish within the fellowship timelines. During the application process, information is also provided on the specific projects to which MSF shall facilitate a reporting grant.  

• Shortlisted applicants are then invited to a full-day workshop, facilitated by an experienced media consultant. During the workshop, they are trained on pitch development, ethical reporting in sensitive contexts and impactful storytelling techniques. We also further describe our values and provide insights into the projects we support.   

• After the workshop, journalists are asked to further refine their pitches, based on the new skills and information provided.  

• The shortlisted journalists then send in their finalised pitches for selection as fellows. These updated pitches are then judged based on the quality of pitch, originality of angle and feasibility of access within the proposed country program. 

Who selects the fellows?  How is the judging done?

• The fellows are selected on merit of their final pitch. The judging panel consists of three members of the MSF Eastern Africa communications team with support from an external facilitator.  

Do you share pitches with other journalists?  

• Pitches are confidential – information is shared only among colleagues within the media unit of the MSF communications team based in Nairobi and the media consultant. Details about the specific MSF projects that fellows can report on are publicly available on the fellowship landing page to assist journalists in developing their initial pitches. During the full-day workshop, shortlisted candidates gain further insight into the various projects. This helps them to improve their pitches before the final selection as fellows. 

Why is the fellowship limited to journalists from specific countries?

• The fellowship selection is limited because of constraints on the available resources (financial and staffing) available to support the fellowship.  

Why do journalists report on countries they are not from? 

• Journalists are free to pitch stories on any of the projects and countries that the fellowship is supporting. However, some countries are only open to journalists accredited to work in that context due to limitations including on access for journalists not of that country.