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Chavkin Investigative Journalism Program

The Chavkin program has two main initiatives: the Investigative Journalism Fund and the Award for Integrity in Journalism in Latin America.

The Chavkin Investigative Journalism Fund

The Samuel Chavkin Investigative Journalism Fund supports frontline journalistic projects that contribute to social justice in Latin America and the Caribbean. This Fund, administered by the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA), supports original, rigorous reporting on the Americas. To pursue this goal, the fund awards grants to aspiring and established writers whose research projects promise to bring to light pressing, but under-reported, issues in contemporary Latin America, the Caribbean and their diasporas. These reports can be traditionally investigative or based on first hand reporting of issues and events overlooked by the mainstream media.

The grants are awarded by committee decision on a competitive basis to those submissions that excel in terms of conceptual clarity, salience or urgency of focus, and originality. The adjudicating committee will prioritize those projects which fall within one or more of the following thematic areas: human rights; social and economic justice; militarization and resistance; corruption; corporate misconduct and accountability; the environment and climate change; U.S. foreign policy; alternative politics and social movements; health; and gender justice.

Grants will be awarded on a bi-annual basis, with the submission deadlines of June 30 and December 31. Two to four grants in the range of $2000 – $3500 will normally be awarded each year to support these investigations. Research results in the form of a single, journalistic article of 3500 – 4000 words will be published in NACLA’s magazine, NACLA Report on the Americas

Applicants must submit an application package consisting of:

  1. A maximum 3 page or 1500 word project proposal consisting of:
    • a concise one paragraph abstract;
    • research questions and rationale (an outline of the story);
    • basic research plan, including a general timeline and planned sources; and
    • a summary budget.
  2. Two brief published clips (approximately 800 – 1500 words each).
  3. A brief resume, maximum 2 pages.

Applications may be submitted by mail to: The Samuel Chavkin Investigative Journalism Fund (Attention: Applications), NACLA, 38 Greene St., 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10013 or by email to: editor@nacla.org.

Recently published investigative pieces include:

The Chavkin Award for Integrity in Journalism in Latin America

The Chavkin Prize is awarded every 18 months to an outstanding investigative reporter working in Latin America or the Caribbean exposing injustice and oppression or documenting the struggles for social justice and democracy in the region. The award is given to journalists whose body of work reflects a commitment to social justice in the region.

Since NACLA has overseen this award, winners have included Angel Paéz of La República in Peru; Ignacio Gómez, an investigative reporter and editor at El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia; Stella Calloni, South America correspondent for the Mexican daily La Jornada; Jane Regan and Daniel Morel for their work in Haiti; and Cristian Alarcón for his work in Argentina's Página 12 and his book Cuando me muera quiero que me toquen cumbia.

A committee composed of NACLA staff and members of the editorial committee and Board of Directors selects each awardee from among a field of nominees. NACLA welcomes nominations for the award, which should be directed to Executive Director Christy Thornton at cthornton@nacla.org.

About Samuel L. Chavkin

Samuel L. Chavkin was a reporter, writer, editor and publisher. Journalism was his favorite of these, Latin America his favorite beat, and the promotion of social justice his overarching goal. An investigative journalist in Latin America in the 1930s and 1940s for a variety of newspapers, magazines, the Overseas News Agency and the U.N. radio news division, Chavkin established himself as a respected correspondent until Senator Joseph McCarthy forced his early retirement from the field by depriving him of his passport.

In the latter years of his career, he wrote Storm Over Chile — a gripping and complete account of the 1973 military coup and its aftermath — as well as articles for various publications. He was also actively involved with a host of progressive organizations, particularly those working in opposition to the United States embargo against Cuba.