Omidyar Network’s Tech Journalism Fund will provide project funding from $5,000 to $25,000 to support reporting costs for journalists working on a singular, time and resource intensive reporting project. Applicants are welcome to submit proposals on any topic related to how technology and society intersect, but priority consideration will be given to pitches in four core areas:
- Legislation and policy proposals on regulating AI and and the tech sector
- Investigative pieces on the companies, organizations, people, and ideas that are shaping the AI and tech industries
- The impact of AI on children, youth, and families
- How workers, unions, companies, and employers are contending with AI and other technological advances in the workplace
Freelancers, staff reporters, editors, and teams of journalists working across any medium are eligible. Applicants with a diverse range of backgrounds, careers, and experiences are welcome, but at this time the Fund is only open to US-based journalists.
Costs covered by the Tech Journalism Fund may include funding for travel, research and fact-checking support, multimedia enhancement, access to data such as LexisNexis searches or government record requests), and stipends to cover reporting time. All proposals must include a detailed budget of estimated costs.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and generally reviewed within 30 days of submission. Due to the high volume of submissions, only accepted applicants will be contacted by Omidyar Network.
Apply hereQuestions about the program, including application status, can be submitted here.
All projects supported by the Tech Journalism Fund will be editorially independent and disclose their support. Published pieces supported by the Fund will also be viewable here:
A new series by independent journalist Brian Merchant dedicated to sharing real-life stories of how AI is impacting working people's lives.
“The first step is hearing those stories. A lot of people I speak with are anxious, afraid, or feel alone in their fears. Some are angry their bosses deemed them or their colleagues expendable; some feel depressed watching what they loved about their jobs disappear. Many feel exploited. Others are frustrated at the new work AI creates. Others feel a loss of self-worth. But these workers are not alone and are certainly not worthless—there are many people experiencing such indignities right now. Assembling and sharing these stories can illuminate what’s happening to our jobs in the AI era, and help us understand the extent of the trend.”