In February 2024, the International Women’s Media Foundation launched the Newsroom Safety Across America Initiative to provide safety training to journalists ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. The IWMF trained more than 600 journalists representing 200 local and regional news outlets in battleground states and rural areas as newsrooms grappled with ongoing safety challenges. As part of this effort, IWMF collected in-depth survey data and interviews from training participants and launched the report, “Journalists Under Fire: US Media Report Daily Threats, Harassment and Attacks at Home”. The data revealed a shocking number of threats to American journalists’ safety and well-being. Journalists reported incidents ranging from physical violence and harassment to threats of gun violence, verbal attacks and sexual harassment while on assignment and in the workplace. 

The IWMF is committed to improving the safety of journalists in the United States and will continue to provide wraparound care for small newsrooms and journalists looking for resources and knowledge to implement best practices and safety policies. This can include virtual safety trainings, safety consultations, assistance developing and implementing safety policies, and emergency assistance grants when needed.

If you are a newsroom or freelance journalist interested in training or policies covering safety, please fill out this intake form. Please note the IWMF can provide this training in Spanish. 

Additional resources:

• One-on one safety consultation form
• Emergency fund intake form for U.S. based journalists 
• Newsroom Policy Guide (Spanish) & Protecting Freelance Journalists Guide 
• Mental Health Guide (Spanish)

Please reach out to programs@iwmf.org if you have any questions or accessibility needs. For legal support please contact the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press at their free legal hotline (1-800-336-4243). The hotline is available 24/7. 

About the IWMF's Safety Work

As the leading provider of identity-informed, holistic safety training and resources for journalists and newsrooms – with a focus on women and nonbinary reporters – in the U.S. and globally, the IWMF has trained thousands of journalists to enhance their safety online and offline.

The Fund for Indigenous Journalists supports reporting related to Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) with a concentration on women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people.

Applications are now being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. The IWMF is conducting ongoing, targeted outreach to to eligible journalists and teams to solicit proposals. Journalists affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply.

In addition to monetary support, the IWMF is committed to providing editorial and pitching support to grantees.

Eligible journalists can apply on Submittable.

If you are experiencing any accessibility issues with the application process, please contact info@iwmf.org.

With support from the Press Forward, the International Women’s Media Foundation is expanding its Newsroom Safety Across America initiative to train 3,000 local journalists across the U.S. and to support small newsrooms build and implement safety policies. This initiative focuses on creating a sustainable safety infrastructure for local news through the development of a cohort of dedicated Safety Ambassadors.

Safety Ambassadors will serve as a resource within their journalism communities, gaining the knowledge and tools to serve as the first line of defense against the evolving risks U.S. reporters and newsrooms face. They will become experts on risk assessment and gain a holistic understanding of the physical, digital and psychosocial safety threats facing local journalists and newsrooms today. 

After completing the program, Safety Ambassadors will be equipped to:

• Deliver virtual and in-person workshops on areas of relevant safety expertise
• Support your peers in the news profession and future cohorts of Safety Ambassadors
• Be featured as IWMF Safety Ambassadors at journalism conferences, trainings, and other industry events.

Over the course of the program fellows will receive:

• Individualized mentoring and advice from leading journalism safety experts
• A small stipend to support their participation in the program
• Potential for paid opportunities with IWMF and partners upon successful completion of the program

Eligibility

• Must be working in journalism and passionate about supporting safety of journalists, especially in local newsrooms.
• Must have a desire to teach, train and learn.
• Must be willing to commit 10 hours per month over a 6-month period.
• Must commit to delivering 4 training sessions upon successful completion of the program.
• We seek diversity of lived experiences as well as geographic diversity in this program. Applicants must be based in the U.S.
• This program is open to journalists of all genders.

Please reach out to programs@iwmf.org if you have any questions or accessibility needs. 

About the IWMF's Safety Work

As the leading provider of identity-informed, holistic safety training and resources for journalists and newsrooms – with a focus on women and nonbinary reporters – in the U.S. and globally, the IWMF has trained thousands of journalists to enhance their safety online and offline.

Los Premios de Valentía en el Periodismo de la International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) honran cada año a mujeres periodistas que se distinguen por mostrar valentía, persistencia y resistencia extraordinaria. Haciendo todo lo necesario para descubrir la verdad, estas mujeres establecen un nuevo estándar para el periodismo bajo coacción o frente la censura.

Los Premios honran periodistas valientes – incluyendo fotoperiodistas – trabajando en cualquier país del mundo. Estas mujeres cubren temas tabú, se sumergen en situaciones hostiles y comparten verdades difíciles y necesarias. Además, las honradas demuestran un compromiso a la libertad de la prensa y muchas veces deben superar condiciones injustas para convertirse en líderes en su profesión.

Candidatas para los Premios de Valentía en el Periodismo pueden ser periodistas que trabajan para un medio de comunicación o periodistas freelance en cualquier país. Deben trabajar a tiempo completo en el periodismo.
 

Deadline: 1 de febrero, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET

Las auto-nominaciones no son aceptadas.
 

Click here to nominate in English.
Cliquez ici pour envoyer une candidature en français.

Si tiene problemas de accesibilidad con el proceso de solicitud, comuníquese con programs@iwmf.org.

Les Prix du Courage dans le Journalisme honorent journalistes qui se démarquent par leur bravoure, persistance, et résilience extraordinaire. Ces femmes sont prêtes à faire n'importe quoi pour que la vérité sorte. Elles élèvent le niveau de reportage fait sous la contrainte ou sur la censure.   

Le programme des Prix de Courage honore trois journalistes courageuses, incluant les photojournalistes, qui travaillent dans n'importe quel pays du monde. Ces femmes rapportent sur les sujets difficiles, s'immergent dans des environnements hostiles et partagent des vérités difficiles. De plus, les journalistes honorés font preuve d'engagement en faveur de liberté de la presse et souvent surmontent des conditions injustes pour devenir dirigeants dans leur industrie. Candidates pour Les Prix du Courage dans le Journalisme doivent être employées à temps plein ou journalistes, écrivaines, rédactrices, photograveures ou productrices indépendantes travaillant dans n'importe quel pays du monde, quelle que soit leur nationalité.  
 

Date limite:  1 février, 2026, at 23:59 H

Les auto-candidatures ne sont pas acceptées.

Click here for the nomination form in English.
Haga clic aquí para enviar la nominación en español. 

Si vous rencontrez des problèmes d'accessibilité avec le processus de candidature, veuillez contacter programs@iwmf.org.

The IWMF’s annual Courage in Journalism Awards honor women and nonbinary journalists who set themselves apart by exhibiting extraordinary bravery, persistence and resilience. Doing whatever it takes to uncover the truth, they raise the bar for reporting under duress, or in the face of censorship.

The awards program honors brave journalists – including photojournalists – working in any country across the world. They report on taboo topics, immerse themselves in hostile environments and share difficult truths. In addition, the honorees demonstrate a commitment to press freedom and often overcome unjust conditions online and offline to become leaders in their industry.

Candidates for the Courage in Journalism Awards must be full-time staff or freelance women or nonbinary reporters, writers, editors, photographers or producers working in any country and of any nationality.

Deadline to nominate: February 1, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET.

Self-nominations are not accepted.
Haga clic aquí para enviar la nominación en español.
Cliquez ici pour envoyer une candidature en français.

If you are experiencing any accessibility/connectivity issues with the application process, please contact programs@iwmf.org.

The IWMF's Kim Wall Memorial Fund will provide $5,000 grants to journalists whose work embodies the spirit of Kim’s reporting. The grant will fund women or nonbinary reporters covering subculture, broadly defined, and what Kim liked to call “the undercurrents of rebellion.” Kim wanted more women to be out in the world, brushing up against life, and the Kim Wall Memorial Fund honors this legacy.

All applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Women or nonbinary journalists with one (1) or more years of professional experience working in news media from anywhere in the world. Internships do not count toward professional experience. Staff and freelance journalists are both eligible. We will only accept applications from individual journalists, but you may allocate part of the submitted budget for a reporting partner, such as a photographer or producer.
• Applicants must have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program. However, reporting may be published in any language.
• Applicants must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent media outlets.
• Grants will be awarded to cover reporting-related costs including travel, logistics, insurance, visa fees, professional stipends and payments for producers, translators, etc. The IWMF does not cover the cost of equipment purchase or rental and cannot support academic research or research for academic publication.

The IWMF believes that gender does not conform to one notion. We are inclusive of all women, nonbinary and gender non-conforming journalists.

Application Period
The IWMF is accepting applications from November 3 to December 7, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST via Submittable. 

The IWMF cannot consider time-sensitive proposals. Applications will be reviewed in January and February 2026, and applicants will receive a response no later than mid-March 2026. Grantees will be publicly announced on Kim's birthday, March 23.

Resources

For application tips, please visit the IWMF's website here.

For questions or accessibility/connectivity issues with the application, please email program coordinator, Divya T., at dtewari@iwmf.org. 

The Gwen Ifill Award was established to honor the memory of the legendary co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, who passed away in November 2016. Gwen Ifill was among the most respected journalists of our time, a trailblazer and an incredible role model and mentor for young journalists. The award is given annually to a trailblazing journalist who reflects and carries forward Gwen’s professional legacy and personal lived experience.

The award is open to journalists working in the United States. Candidates for the award will be evaluated on criteria including their record of outstanding achievement in journalism, and the extent to which they represent the values Ifill embodied, including in the areas of mentorship, leadership and commitment to a diversity of perspectives in journalism. Beginning in 2024, each Gwen Ifill awardee will receive a cash prize, courtesy of The UTA Foundation.

 
Deadline: The IWMF will be accepting self-nominations and third-party nominations until Sunday, April 30, 2026, at 11:59 pm eastern.

If you are experiencing any accessibility/connectivity issues with the application process, please contact programs@iwmf.org. 

This is an application for the United States Journalism Emergency Fund established by the International Women’s Media Foundation and supported by the Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation. To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for:

• Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear;
• Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist.

Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists

Applicants must provide proof of their financial need. Funding is available to both staff journalists and those working independently. To request assistance from the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please complete this preliminary questionnaire. Requests that do not meet the criteria above will not be considered. 

For legal support if you have been arrested or face immediate threat of arrest, please contact the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press at their free legal hotline (1-800-336-4243). The hotline is available 24/7. 

If you have any questions relating to the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please email assistance@iwmf.org.