Announcing the COVID-19 Hardship Fund
The rapid spread of COVID-19 is significantly impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide. The Rory Peck Trust is working hard to continue to support freelance journalists through this crisis.
March 30, 2020.
Last week we launched a survey to ask freelance journalists what they need most right now and we received responses from around the globe.
This is what we learned:
- Nearly 85% of respondents said they most need direct financial support due to lack of work and commissions
- 67% of respondents said they most need job opportunities
- The number one work challenge facing freelancers is lack of government support (69%)
- 64% of respondents are struggling with completing stories due to self-isolation or quarantine.
In response to this, we’ve created an extraordinary fund to provide practical and financial support to freelance journalists whose work and livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19. We’ll also be creating a new jobs section on our newsletter and sharing any opportunities via social media.
If you are a professional freelance journalist whose only source of income is from journalism and you have been significantly affected by the pandemic, you may be eligible for a grant from our COVID-19 Hardship Fund.