This is an opportunity provided by the Skoll Foundation programme: Find out more

Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Investigating Corporate Social Impact: Reporting Hub offers an excellent opportunity for financial and/or investigative journalists from South East Asia and South Asia to gather virtually for training, knowledge sharing, expert sessions and network building. Led by world-class trainers and experts, the Hub will be conducted remotely over two weeks using Zoom and other interactive online tools to connect participants in engaging real-time video seminars.

The training will have a unique focus on the use of various sources of financial and non-financial data as a means of assessing corporate social performance, the ‘S’ in ESG. As ESG investment increases worldwide, there remains no standardized model of social impact assessment, leading to discrepancies between corporate practice and disclosure. Effective data analysis will help journalists uncover these inconsistencies, ensuring that they and their newsrooms are reporting accurately on these matters. This, in turn, will support efforts to both increase and improve corporate disclosure and transparency on social issues, expanding the data pool available. This is invaluable to investors who rely on this data to make informed decisions. Journalists participating in the Hub will acquire relevant knowledge, trade tips and insights based on their own experiences, apply new digital skills, and access influential policymakers and officials for exclusive information and story ideas to cover the socio-political implications of companies reporting on their social performance. 

What is ESG?
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.


THE HUB

The six-day programme will be conducted remotely over two weeks for journalists reporting in South East Asia and South Asia, with participants meeting for three days each week. A typical day will include two live 90-minute virtual meetings, an offline study hour to work on assigned tasks*, and an optional office hour at the end of each day. The interactive live sessions will be led by TRF facilitators and/or expert guest speakers, allowing participants to ask questions and share ideas in order to learn and practice new skills. The live meetings will be supplemented with self-learning materials, post-session discussions and feedback from peers and facilitators on an exclusive hub forum to enhance the learning experience.
*In addition to the sessions (90 minutes live session + 60 minutes practical session + 90 minutes live session), participants should allow for a further 2-3 hours per week of independent research, activities and group interaction on the forum.

Story grant: Journalists will work on a story project and receive feedback from TRF facilitators. After the course they can apply for a two-month programme that includes one-on-one mentoring and a $250 grant to produce and publish their stories by end February 2022.

Certification & TRF Alumni Engagement: Participants who engage in at least 80% of the sessions will receive a certificate from Thomson Reuters Foundation and will benefit from future alumni engagement, including exclusive invitations for events, access to more training and story funding.

 

Who Can Apply

 

• Data and Investigative Journalists with experience or strong interest in business and human rights, financial journalism, and/or businesses’ social performance.
• Applicants must be based in South East Asia and South Asia or covering the region working (priority countries: India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, and Vietnam)
• Applicants must be full-time journalists or regular contributors for media organisations with a minimum of three years’ professional experience.
• Participant must have a high proficiency level of spoken and written English. 
• Applicants must have access to a minimum internet speed of 8 MB/second. (You can check the speed of your device by logging from it on www.speedtest.net).

 

Meet Our Experts

 

• A biography of up to 250 words outlining your career – please provide dates, locations and employers where possible.
• A statement of up to 250 words describing why you want to participate in the training programme and how you hope to benefit from it.
• Links to your public CV (LinkedIn or website).
• OPTIONAL: Links to 2 relevant work samples in English (if possible). TV/Radio journalists can send in their scripts and a brief summary to eleanor.wellerpoley@thomsonreuters.com.

Please apply by 31^st October 2021

If you have any difficulties applying, please contact eleanor.wellerpoley@thomsonreuters.com


Photo credit: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu