MEDIA FELLOWSHIP TO UNPACK UNHEALTHY FOOD MARKETING TARGETING CHILDREN LAUNCHED

Pasig City - Public interest law group ImagineLaw on Monday invited Filipino journalists to produce stories and reports through a media fellowship that will shed light on the advertising and marketing of unhealthy food to children. 

“Unhealthy food marketing harms children,” said ImagineLaw Executive Director Atty. Sophia San Luis. “It increases their risk of being overweight or obese and leads to other diet-related diseases,” she added, citing a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

The said media fellowship, dubbed as ‘Bawas Patalastas’, seeks to deepen the public’s understanding about the issue and initiate conversations through stories, features, or reports.  The fellowship will accept seven (7) Filipino journalists, called ‘Fellows’, who will receive a grant of up to PHP 60,000 for research, editing, and publication of their desired stories. 

The fellowship is open to all journalists, whether employed by a media outlet or freelancer, who work in television, print, radio, and online. 

“Media plays an important role in creating an environment that encourages children to make healthy choices,” San Luis said. “The stories and reports produced by the Fellows will help us craft a policy proposal that will regulate unhealthy food marketing targeting children,”

Interested journalists can apply through https://bit.ly/ILMediaFellowship until October 5, 2023. On top of the cash grant, the Fellows will also receive briefings and review sessions from experts and fellow journalists on the topic. 

The Fellowship proper is from November to December of this year and is being conducted in partnership with Gugma PR, a public relations group helping advocates, movements, and changemakers build impact through empathic communications.

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