Logic(s)’ Palestinian Journalist Fellowship in Collaboration with Arab Reform Initiative
Every Palestinian is a living archive of collective memory and freedom dreaming. Palestinian journalists provide a crucial mechanism through which these collective stories are deepened and circulated globally. With extensive military aid from the US government, Israeli Occupation Forces subject these journalists and their families to forced disappearances, imprisonment, and execution. More than ever, it is critical that journalists be anchored in the communities they report on and with, and that we act quickly to move resources to Palestinians while they are still alive. These dual commitments are what instigated Logic(s)’ development of this one-year fellowship for Palestinian journalists, co-administered with the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI).
The purpose of this program is to support community-led storytelling on Palestine and its relationship to technology, to strengthen the magazine’s contributions to Palestine reporting, and to redistribute resources to Palestinian journalists. Logic(s) will provide training, workshops, and informal mentoring to fellows on domain-specific topics like secure communication, algorithmic models, and techno-culture. ARI provides bilingual (English/Arabic) programming including a workgroup on tech in the Middle East North Africa region. Fellows have the option to participate in their workgroups and publications if they are interested.
Each of the four Palestinian journalists selected will receive a stipend of 20,000 USD over the course of their fellowship year. They will participate in the Logic(s) magazine editorial board and have the option to participate in programming on critical technology studies alongside members of the ARI. Fellows are required to contribute at least one article to the magazine over the fellowship year but have the option to commission and publish up to two pieces per issue. We are a technology magazine that thinks about technology very broadly, publishing in a range of genres, including nonfiction essays, photography, graphic stories, poetry, and speculative fiction. Given that we publish only twice a year, we look for stories that take a step back to provide analysis on the larger historical, political, and technical context, rather than just-the-facts reporting better suited for daily news.
The fellowship is open to any Palestinian journalist and/or storyteller, anywhere in the world. Special priority is given to early career applicants who are either currently located in Palestine or in refugee camps, and/or have been recently displaced.
This fellowship was made possible through the generous support of Distributed AI Research, Migration and Technology Monitor, Pillars Fund as well as individual Logic(s) readers and supporters who gave between $5 and $45,000 each.
Priority Deadline: October 16
Final Deadline: November 27
For those who are ready to hit the ground running right now, they can submit within six weeks for an expedited consideration. For those who need more time, you can submit by November 27. At least two slots will be reserved for those who apply by the second date.
Pitch Guidelines:
In terms of length, our pitches are usually around two short paragraphs. In terms of content, we’re generally looking for the following:
- Specificity: The more details, the better. How does the thing or process you’re describing work, at the most intimate level? The kind of detail can vary widely: it might involve technical detail if you’re describing a technology, or reported detail if it’s a reported piece. But specificity is critical to any good piece. It not only helps make for an interesting piece of writing; it also establishes your credibility as the one writing it. The details you foreground illustrate why you should be the one writing this piece.
- Stakes: Why does this piece matter? Why should the reader read past the first few paragraphs? A successful piece should answer the “so what?” question early and often. It’s possible that a few readers will come to your piece already interested in the particular subject you’re discussing—but the vast majority won’t. How will you make the case to your readers that they should keep reading?
- What makes you uniquely positioned to write this? Who are you? Where do you come from? This can be an opportunity to focus on either your personal or professional background, depending which feels most relevant to the pitched story.
We define technology very capaciously. To get a sense of the range we publish, please check out Beacons, supa dupa skies: move slow and heal things, policy: seductions and silences, and our most recent issue, Medicine and the Body. Reading through these issues will also give you a sense of how writers have approached the above considerations
FAQ
What are the education requirements?
None.
What topics does Logic(s) cover?
We prioritize stories that are outside of the US and think critically about race, gender, sexuality, and disability but, we are open to pitches on any topic that has a connection to technology. The most important part is that we don’t publish “just-the-facts reporting”; we are interested in pieces that have a unique and in-depth analysis.
Can I publish in Arabic or another language?
Our editorial board only has capacity to conduct developmental editing in English, but we will provide additional funding to translate pieces into Arabic or any other relevant language.
Who will be deciding which applicants are selected?
We have four Palestinian advisors who will be leading the selection process. Logic(s) editorial leadership will be involved as well, but the advisors have the majority vote.
If you have any additional questions that are not listed here, please reach out to editors@logicmag.io and we will do our best to respond quickly.