Journey: Journalism Bootcamp now accepting applications to the new iteration

„A life-time of top professional journalism experience packed into 10 days”. Applications for the 6th year of Journey will be open until April 30, 2021, and successful candidates will receive a scholarship from the Bakala Foundation to cover all costs associated with participating in the program, including accommodation, travel, or meals. Journey 2021 is open to students of journalism and related disciplines from a total of 11 countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Great Britain and the USA. "Independent journalism is one of the main pillars of a democratic society. That is why the Bakala Foundation is organizing the Journey program for the sixth time, where we present journalism to young journalists from all possible angles, presented by renowned professionals from the Czech as well as world´s best media,"says Václav Pecha, director of the Bakala Foundation. "Students can then more easily decide which direction they want to take in their journalistic careers, and we believe they will be better equipped to pursue a truly objective and independent journalism." Journey is a unique summer school that is popular with aspiring journalists. Renowned professionals from top media on the Czech and global scene pass on their lifelong experience to young journalists here. These include, for example, CNN, The New Yorker, The Washington Post or Reuters, Bloomberg or AP. Among the speakers are well-known names such as Adam Entous, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2017, or Jessica Bruder, journalist and author of the award-winning book Nomadland, which became the model for the film currently nominated for the prestigious Oscars in six categories. The event will take place in the beautiful premises of the Grébovka villa in Havlíčkovy sady in Prague. Over the course of ten days, students will attend lectures and workshops on journalistic ethics, working with resources, investigative journalism, photojournalism and much more. There will also be field work, simulated work in the newsroom and team reporting. Last but not least, the opportunity to get feedback from the highly experienced lecturers is extremely beneficial for students. An important benefit is the international reach of the event, not only with regard to presenters, but also participants coming from a total of 11 countries. Young journalists can thus take advantage of the opportunity to build valuable professional contacts across borders. "In 2020, due to a pandemic and travel restrictions, the program could not be realised. This year, we firmly believe that Journey will take place, and we will do everything in our power to do so. The program will take place from 5 to 15 August 2021 in Prague," says Journey program manager Petra Judová. The Bakala Foundation, which has been organizing this program for six years now, aims to support young talents and thus contribute not only to the fulfillment of their life goals, but also to the improvement of the whole society. The promotion of independent journalism is therefore an important pillar of the Foundation's activities. "Today's times show, perhaps even more intensively than before, how important is the role of independent journalism and the fight against misinformation," says Václav Pecha. "Young journalists should be the flag bearers of change for the better, and where else is it better to start than by educating the young generation and passing on experience from industry leaders," he added. The final results and the list of selected candidates will be announced in May. More information and application can be found on the program page: https://www.bakalafoundation.org/programy/journey/