Combating Misinformation in the Digital Media Era | SCAISB 24 AW 008 02072024

Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 008 02072024

The grant opportunity titled "Combating Misinformation in the Digital Media Era" is a U.S. Department of State public diplomacy funding call issued by the Consulate General in Lahore under the Public Diplomacy Grants Program. It is structured as a discretionary grant competition, with funding dependent on availability, and it plans to support one project designed to strengthen journalistic capacity in Pakistan. The overall purpose is practical and skills-based: equip a cohort of Pakistani journalists with modern tools and professional approaches to identify, verify, and responsibly respond to misinformation and disinformation, especially as these challenges intensify across digital platforms and rapidly evolving media ecosystems.

The core project is an in-person, six-month training program for 30 mid- to senior-level Pakistani journalists and reporters drawn from relatively new print, broadcast, and digital media outlets. The program is organized around three-day workshops held quarterly, meaning participants would attend multiple intensive sessions over the six-month period rather than a single one-off training. U.S. subject matter experts are expected to play a central role in delivering the training, indicating an emphasis on bringing U.S.-based expertise, methods, and professional standards into the curriculum and discussion. The end goal is to help journalists produce more accurate, ethical, and trustworthy reporting, while improving their ability to detect manipulation, reduce amplification of false narratives, and communicate corrections effectively to the public.

The workshop series is expected to cover a defined set of topics that span both technical verification and newsroom decision-making. These include foundational concepts for understanding misinformation and disinformation (how they differ, how they spread, and why they work), practical digital verification tools (techniques and resources for confirming images, videos, sources, and claims), and ethical reporting in an environment where falsehoods can be monetized or weaponized. The program also targets applied response strategies such as refutation methods (how to correct false claims without reinforcing them), cross-media collaboration (coordination across outlets or platforms to strengthen verification and reduce duplicated errors), balancing freedom of the press with content regulation (navigating legal, platform, and policy pressures while protecting journalistic independence), and building audience trust (transparency, sourcing, correction practices, and engagement approaches that increase credibility). Taken together, the topic list signals that the funder is looking for a well-rounded training design that improves not only technical fact-checking capacity but also editorial judgment, public communication, and institutional resilience.

In terms of eligibility, the opportunity is limited to non-profit and non-governmental applicants. Eligible prime applicants include not-for-profit organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations, and public or private educational institutions. For-profit entities are explicitly excluded, even if they might otherwise resemble eligible organizations. The structure allows the prime recipient to sub-contract or partner with other entities, but only one non-profit, non-governmental organization can serve as the main award recipient. If sub-contracting is part of the implementation plan, the proposal must clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each partner or contractor so that oversight, deliverables, and accountability are unambiguous.

From the funding and administrative details provided, this NOFO is issued by the U.S. Mission to Pakistan, with a funding opportunity number of SCAISB 24 AW 008 02072024 and a CFDA number of 19.501. The application deadline listed is April 8, 2024. The award ceiling is $50,000, and the program anticipates making one award. In practical terms, the project design needs to fit within a modest single-award budget and should be realistic about costs associated with in-person convenings, trainer participation, participant selection and support, venue and materials, and program management over the six-month period.

• The U.S. Mission to Pakistan in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Combating Misinformation in the Digital Media Era" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-02-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for SCAISB 24 AW 008 02072024

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