Answers to some FAQs about the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund:
Q: What is themes and deadline for applications for the 2015 funding round?
A: Applicants are invited to submit proposals that seek to serve the public interest. The deadline for applications is Friday, 27th November 2015 at 5pm.
Q: Can former applicants apply for the 2015 funding round?
A: Yes. There is nothing to stop former applicants and successful journalists applying for the 2015 funding round.
Q. Do I need a letter of commitment to publish / broadcast from my proposed media outlet?
A: Fund applicants must provide a proof of commitment from at least one established media outlet based in the Republic of Ireland to broadcast or publish their proposed project. This proof can be provided in a letter or email format and should be included with the application. This letter of commitment must:
(1) Indicate a commitment to publish the proposed work;
(2) Commit to acknowledging the support of The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund and include The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund logo.
Applicants are encouraged to arrange their letter of commitment in good time.
Q. If you have two or more proposed media outlets, do you need a letter of commitment for each outlet?
A: One letter of commitment from the primary media outlet will suffice. However, if broadcast / publication is divided equally between two or more media outlets, applicants are encouraged to include a letter of commitment from each outlet.
Q: How does the ‘starter’ journalist category work?
A: If you are a journalist with less than two years journalism experience, your application must be accompanied by samples of
your work demonstrating your journalistic capacity and your ability to undertake in-depth research. Further information is available in the application form. The judging panel will take your sample work into account when making their final decision on funding.
Q: It says in the terms and conditions the proposed media outlet must be based in Ireland – does this include Northern Ireland?
A: The fund is concerned with work published in media primarily with a Republic of Ireland audience.
Q. Will The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund award funding to projects that are already at an advanced stage?
A: No. While it is expected applicants will have made some preparatory work in advance of submitting their application, projects which are already at an advanced stage when funding is sought will not be awarded the funding.
Q. Does The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund specify a rate for media professionals?
A. No. It is the responsibility of the applicant to specify their own daily rate. Your media outlet may be able to provide guidance in relation to freelance rates.
Q. Is the funding awarded taxable?
A. Information on taxation is available on www.revenue.ie. Applicants must provide their PPS number if successful. Applicants receiving funding of €6,350 or more must provide a tax clearance certificate to demonstrate that their tax affairs are in order.
Q. What happens if, after receiving funding, I am unable to get my finished project published or broadcast?
A: As the guidelines state, an applicant who the judges decide to award funding to will receive 70 per cent of their awarded funding once the decision has been made. However, the other 30 per cent is dependent on the project’s broadcast and/or publication. Therefore, projects which never reach the broadcast / production stage will not receive the final amount of their funding.
Q. What if, while working on my Mary Raftery Journalism Fund grant-awarded project, its findings are not what was expected or outlined in my application?
A: Should your investigative work for your successful project lead you to new, unexpected findings that may have been unforeseen or lead the journalist to divert from the initial premise of the project proposal, it is imperative that they inform the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund administrators, DHR Communications, as soon as possible. This is because the new findings may have an effect on funding for the project.
Q. How does the ‘wages’ aspect of the fund work for journalists already working in a news organisation?
A: There are no hard and fast rules about how you budget the financial cost of time spent working on your proposed project. If a freelance journalist wishes to work full-time on their project for a fixed period of time, then The Mary Raftery Journalism Fund can accommodate this at a reasonable rate of pay.
If you are a staff member of a news organisation and wish to apply, you may consider taking time out of work to conduct the investigation. Alternatively, if you felt that you could undertake the investigation in your free time, you could also submit for fees to cover that.
In this respect, the fund is being put in place to enable a journalist to undertake an investigation in way that might not normally be facilitated to do in their day-to-day job.
Q: Does the fund have a preference for freelance journalists over staff journalist, or vice-versa?
A: Neither. The fund is open to freelance and staff journalists, as well as media organisations. We understand that sourcing free time to conduct the proposed investigation may be an issue for many staff reporters, but the fund would be hopeful that editors and staffers could work out an arrangement that allows them conduct their investigation in a way that compliments / does not compromise other work.
Q. When will successful applicants be announced?
A: Successful applicants will be informed in December 2015. Due to the investigate nature of the projects, successful applicants will not be made public before the broadcast or publication of their work. Following broadcast or publication, projects will be promoted on www.maryrafteryfund.ie and on social media platforms.
For answers to more frequently asked questions about the Mary Raftery Journalism Fund, please check back here regularly. In the meantime, you can submit your own question/s to: info@maryrafteryfund.ie.
