EJN Story Grants to Support Reporting on Inclusive Water Governance in the Mekong Region 2026 (up to $2,000)

Deadline: June 14, 2026

Applications are open for the EJN Story Grants to Support Reporting on Inclusive Water Governance in the Mekong Region 2026. EJN is offering reporting grants to journalists from Mekong countries to support the production of in-depth stories on inclusive water governance in the Mekong Region.

With support from the Oxfam, EJN is pleased to offer up to 13 story grants on this round to selected journalists to report on transboundary water-related stories, especially those that explore and voice out marginalized groups such as women, youth and Indigenous people. In addition to funding, selected journalists will receive one-on-one mentorship from experienced journalists and EJN’s Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) specialist as a co-mentor through the story production process.

Grant

• They expect to award 13 grants of up to $2,000 USD each.

Eligibility

• This grant will be reserved for applicants from and covering Mekong countries: Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and/or Vietnam.
• Groups of journalists are eligible. However, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded.
• They will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff.
• Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience. They welcome applications from early-career journalists and experienced reporters with a track record of covering environmental issues. They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.
• Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their applications. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including submitting content created entirely by gen-AI.

Judging Criteria

Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story applications.

• Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
• Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
• Reach: Does the proposed media outlet have a wide reach? Journalists publishing their work at outlets that typically restrict content behind paywalls are encouraged to secure commitments to publish from additional outlets, or request an exception to ensure their EJN-supported story remains accessible to audiences.
• Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and spur action?
• Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a must.
• Plan for timely publication: Reporters, whether freelance or employed at a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publish the stories by 31 December 2026.

Application

Click here to apply

For more information, visit EJN Story Grants.