RSF Berlin Fellowship for Journalists at Risk: 2026 Historical Reference

RSF Berlin Fellowship: 2026 Historical Reference

Status: the 2026 round is closed. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Germany states on its official fellowship page that the 2026 call is closed. Its German program page says that this year’s call ended on 15 January. RSF’s 2026 description says the fellowship ran from June until November 2026. This page is therefore a historical reference, not an open application listing.

No next-cycle deadline or application form has been published on the official page. RSF asks prospective applicants to watch its fellowship page and social media for opportunities to be announced in Fall 2026. That is an announcement window, not an application deadline. Until RSF publishes a new call, applicants should treat all dates, eligibility details and document instructions here as describing the closed 2026 cycle only.

One more thing worth flagging, because stale listings still circulate it: the old application form hosted at forms.projectresources.org is no longer an application route. The form reports that the survey is expired and no longer available. Do not spend time looking for a way through it. The pages to watch are RSF Germany’s call for applications page and the Berlin Fellowship Program overview.

At a Glance

What the Program Actually Is

RSF Germany brings journalists from crisis regions and countries with restricted press freedom to Berlin for four to six months and puts them through a hands-on training program in digital security. The Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises has funded it since 2018; in 2025 it was additionally supported by a fundraising campaign that included the Friede Springer Foundation.

The structure has two halves. First, fellows learn to protect themselves and their sources against digital threats. Second — and this is the part applicants often underplay — fellows build their own training concept so they can pass the knowledge to colleagues back home. RSF is explicit that the goal is to create multipliers for digital self-defense, and that conducting at least one workshop or training session in your country of residence after the fellowship is a program requirement, not a nice-to-have.

The 2026 edition, per RSF’s description, includes a comprehensive hands-on digital security curriculum with individual risk assessment, workshops on safety and resilience for journalists covering sensitive issues, peer-to-peer exchange within a cohort drawn from different regions and professional backgrounds, insight into RSF’s work as a human rights organization, networking with German media professionals and newsrooms, meetings with people across German civil society and policy, and holistic support for individual psychosocial needs.

There is also a structural change worth knowing about before the next call: beginning with the 2026 cycle, RSF runs only one yearly fellowship program in Berlin. It combines elements of previously hosted programs to offer a broader range of topics. The taz Panter Foundation’s “Rest & Resilience” fellowship is offered separately in close cooperation with RSF, with its own application portal. That is a different opportunity and should not be confused with the RSF Berlin application.

The Training Curriculum

RSF publishes the workshop topics, which is useful for judging fit. The program covers holistic security basics for journalists, bloggers, media professionals and citizen journalists at risk; operational security including risk assessments and security planning; online identity management for investigative journalists, including the technical background and practical use of anonymization tools; secure online communication concepts, technology and tools, including secure conferencing for interviews; password and account security plus data protection on social media and other work accounts; device security for computers and mobile phones; website security for media sites under attack; secure online and offline data storage, including encryption for media files; online information verification and open source intelligence; and concepts for countering digital violence, meaning online gender-based violence, doxxing, impersonation and trolling.

You do not need to arrive as a security expert. RSF states directly that a high existing level of digital security proficiency is not required, and that anyone used to working with a computer and a smartphone can apply. What matters is a genuine interest in going deep on the subject.

Eligibility, in RSF’s Own Terms

RSF’s published 2026 call describes the fellowship as an opportunity for journalists from countries with restricted freedom of press and information. Its program overview calls the intended participants journalists from crisis regions and explains that fellows learn to protect themselves and their sources from digital threats, then develop a training concept to share that knowledge with colleagues. These are the eligibility and purpose details confirmed by the current official pages.

Some detailed eligibility criteria that may have appeared in the 2026 application materials are not reproduced in the current official call page. For example, the live page does not currently confirm an experience threshold, a list of acceptable employment arrangements, a language test, or visa and return conditions. Because the call is closed and the next cycle’s terms have not been announced, treat any such older checklist as historical; confirm each condition in the next official call before making a decision. Do not rely on an old application form or third-party summary to determine eligibility.

The program content does make the expected commitment clear: RSF says fellows should be available for all activities, averaging approximately 20 to 25 hours per week, and should conduct at least one workshop or training session in their country of residence after the fellowship. The call says maintaining a full-time editorial schedule during the program will not be possible. These are practical fit considerations, though they do not replace the formal eligibility rules that will accompany a future application window. Contact RSF through the addresses on its program page if you need clarification after new terms are posted.

Because the program brings journalists from crisis regions to Berlin, anyone with complex residence or safety circumstances should ask RSF directly for guidance when a new call opens. The current official pages do not promise that a particular visa outcome, family arrangement or return pathway will be available in a future cycle.

What RSF Covers

The current official call page includes a “What We Offer” heading but does not publish a detailed support package or stipend figure in the public text available now. The Berlin program overview likewise explains the training and purpose without specifying financial amounts. Since the next cycle has not been announced, do not treat the 2026 support arrangement or any old stipend figure as a confirmed offer for future fellows. Check the new call for housing, travel, insurance, visa support, stipend and any other covered costs before applying.

The current public page also does not provide a usable answer about accompanying family members or family-related costs. Anyone for whom that question matters should ask RSF directly when the next call is published instead of relying on an older FAQ or third-party summary.

What Fellows Are Expected to Do

This is a full commitment, not a work residency. RSF expects fellows to be available for all program activities, averaging roughly 20 to 25 hours per week on training, workshops and activities. There are breaks in programming that can be tailored individually for travel or work, but keeping a full-time editorial schedule alongside the fellowship is not possible, and RSF says so directly: consult your newsroom and regular clients before applying so you can genuinely participate.

Fellows are also expected to exchange candidly with peers about their processes, experiences and challenges; to share what they learn with colleagues in their home region; and to return to their home region or country of residence afterwards. You cannot work for RSF as a journalist during the fellowship — RSF is a human rights organization, not a newsroom, and it will not publish or distribute your articles, films or research. It will, however, aim to connect you with German newsrooms and civil society figures relevant to your reporting. Appearing in public to promote the program is not mandatory; RSF says individual safety takes priority at all times.

How the Next Cycle Will Likely Work

RSF has not published the mechanics or deadline of the next call. The official call page now confirms that the 2026 call is closed and directs readers to watch the page and RSF social media for new opportunities expected in Fall 2026. The archived 2026 application was routed through a form linked from the call page; that route is no longer an open application. RSF has not published a replacement form, new document list, or selection timetable, so the prior round’s instructions should not be presented as current.

Applicants can prepare general background material relevant to the program, such as an up-to-date journalism CV, a careful explanation of work-related risks, and a practical idea for sharing digital-security knowledge with colleagues. These are sensible preparation steps based on the fellowship’s stated purpose, not a confirmed document checklist or promise about future questions. Check the official page after RSF announces the next cycle, then follow only the requirements and dates in that call.

Preparing Now, Before the Call Reopens

The next form has not been published, so do not assume that the 2026 questions or document requirements will be repeated word for word. Preparation can still be specific to the program and its published purpose: explain the risks connected to your journalism, describe the digital-security problems you face, and show how training would improve safety for you, your colleagues, and your sources.

Practical preparation that will not be wasted:

1. Write the threat narrative. Be concrete about what has happened to you — surveillance, device seizure, account compromise, coordinated harassment, legal pressure — without exposing sources or ongoing work. Vague statements about “wanting to improve security” read as filler.
2. Name the digital threats specifically. Phishing aimed at your newsroom, SIM-swap attempts, spyware suspicion on your phone, a media website knocked offline, doxxing of your family: specificity is what separates applications.
3. Sketch the workshop you will run afterwards. The post-fellowship training is a requirement. Decide now who your audience would be, how many people, in what language, and through which outlet or network.
4. Update your journalism CV. Emphasize the three-year experience threshold, your beat, and reporting that carries risk.
5. Check your passport and residence documents. RSF assists with visas but cannot guarantee a positive or timely outcome, and you must be able to show you can return at the end of the visa period. If you live in a third country, gather proof of long-term residence status.
6. Have your English proofread. The program runs entirely in English, and comprehension matters for participation, not just for the form.
7. Talk to your editor early. You will need real time off. Agreement from your newsroom is easier to secure in advance than in a two-week scramble.
8. Note that you cannot participate twice. If you have already held an RSF fellowship, you are not eligible. If you applied before and were not selected, RSF encourages you to apply again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the fellowship open right now? No. RSF says the 2026 call is closed. The official English call page says new fellowship opportunities are expected to be announced in Fall 2026; it does not yet give a new deadline.

What about the old application form I found? The LimeSurvey form at forms.projectresources.org is expired and no longer accepts submissions. Use RSF’s call for applications page instead.

Has the next deadline been published? No. RSF says to watch for new fellowship opportunities to be announced in Fall 2026. That statement does not provide an application opening date or deadline.

Do I need to pay to apply? The 2026 program description lists a monthly stipend and practical support for selected fellows, but the current public call does not state a stipend amount or publish a fee schedule. Check any new official call for the exact support package and any application instructions.

Are citizen journalists and freelancers eligible? RSF describes the target group as journalists from countries with restricted press and information freedom, including journalists from crisis regions. The current page does not publish the detailed eligibility checklist for a future cycle, so confirm employment, experience, language and residence conditions in the next official call.

Can I keep filing stories while in Berlin? No. RSF expects about 20 to 25 hours per week of program participation and states the fellowship is not a work residency for day-to-day journalistic commitments.

Can my family come with me? The current official public page does not publish the answer or family support terms. Ask RSF after the next call appears if this affects your plans.

Will I get feedback if I am not selected? No. RSF says the volume of applications makes individual feedback impossible.

Who do I contact with questions? RSF lists fellowships[at]reporter-ohne-grenzen.de and rsf-fellowships-germany[at]proton.me.

How to Apply

There is no open application at the moment. RSF’s official call page is the place to check for a future announcement. The 2026 form is not a route for new submissions, and the next cycle’s deadline, eligibility terms, and required materials have not been published.

1. Watch the official call page for the next announcement: https://www.reporter-ohne-grenzen.de/fellowship-programs/call-for-applications. RSF says new opportunities are expected in Fall 2026 and also points readers to its social media.
2. Read the Berlin Fellowship Program overview for the program’s purpose and digital-security curriculum: https://www.reporter-ohne-grenzen.de/fellowship-programs/berlin-fellowship-program.
3. Once a new call appears, verify its deadline, eligibility rules, required materials, and application link on RSF’s own page. Do not assume the 2026 form or an unofficial checklist applies.
4. Prepare background material that may help you respond, such as a current journalism CV, a clear description of work-related risks, and an idea for sharing digital-security learning with colleagues. These are preparation suggestions, not confirmed future form fields.
5. Submit only through the portal linked in the new official call, following its published instructions and deadline.

If your circumstances do not fit this program, review RSF’s other support routes and the taz Panter Foundation’s separately handled “Rest & Resilience” fellowship rather than submitting through an expired RSF form.