About the opportunity
The True Story Award is a global journalism prize honoring outstanding written reporting that demonstrates exceptional research depth, narrative quality, and societal relevance. Conferred during the opening of the True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland, the award evaluates submissions across three distinct categories: Research, Storytelling, and Impact. An international jury selects 36 shortlisted reporters who are invited to Bern to present their work and engage in dialogue with audiences and colleagues. From these nominees, the main jury selects one winner per category, each receiving a cash prize of USD 20,000.
Funding and benefits
- Three category winners in Research, Storytelling, and Impact each receive a cash prize of USD 20,000.
- 36 shortlisted authors are invited to attend the True Story Award ceremony and the True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland, to present their work.
- Global visibility and media publication of nominated stories on the True Story Foundation website in their original language and English, as well as in German via partner outlets.
Who can apply?
- Open to journalists from around the world.
- Submissions must be written reports published between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, in daily or weekly newspapers, magazines, or online outlets.
- Submitted texts must be between 15,000 and 85,000 characters in length, including spaces.
- Entries can be submitted directly in nine languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish.
- Texts published in languages other than the nine accepted languages may be submitted in English translation under regional categories (Europe, World I: Africa and Middle East, or World II: South Asia and Southeast Asia).
- Each author may submit only one piece of work.
- Entries must be based on genuinely researched events and uphold journalistic standards.
- Books, unpublished manuscripts, previously awarded works, visual or audiovisual works, purely factual reports, and academic research are not eligible.
Required documents
- Eligible report published within the qualifying window, formatted between 15,000 and 85,000 characters including spaces.
- English translation of the full text if the original publication was in a language other than the nine recognized submission languages.
- Submission form details completed via the online entry portal, submitted either by the author or their editorial team.
When to apply
- Qualifying publication window: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026.
- Submission deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 12:00 UTC.
- The True Story Award ceremony and True Story Festival take place in Bern, Switzerland, in 2027.
How to apply
- Verify that your published report meets all length requirements (15,000 to 85,000 characters with spaces) and was published between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026.
- Prepare an English translation if your original story is in a language outside the nine officially supported languages.
- Access the official application platform at apply.truestoryfestival.org.
- Submit your entry and required publication details prior to the October 31, 2026, 12:00 UTC deadline.
Additional information
- Submissions are assessed on specific criteria: Research accounts for investigation depth, time, data analysis, and risks; Storytelling evaluates narrative structure, style, and literary quality; Impact measures political, economic, or societal consequences and reader response.
- A 45-member international jury from 24 countries reviews entries to establish the 36-story shortlist.
- Nominated authors grant the True Story Foundation rights to publish their stories on its website and in German through partner media outlets.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Print and digital investigative reporters or feature writers who produced substantial, long-form journalistic work (15,000–85,000 characters) between October 2025 and September 2026.
- Journalists whose stories uncovered high-risk realities, achieved demonstrable political or social impact, or demonstrated exceptional narrative nonfiction craft.
- Reporters writing in one of the nine accepted primary languages or willing to submit a high-quality English translation of regional reporting.
What should you think carefully about?
- Strict format constraints exclude multimedia projects, audio/podcast reporting, photojournalism, and book excerpts.
- Authors are limited to submitting exactly one piece of work per cycle, requiring careful selection of your strongest reporting.
- Shortlisted candidates must be prepared to travel to Bern, Switzerland, in 2027 to participate in the festival and present their reporting.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This competition offers extraordinary international exposure for reporters looking to showcase investigative or narrative journalism to a worldwide audience. It provides a major financial boost through USD 20,000 prizes, alongside peer networking and translation opportunities that amplify local reporting into global media discourse.
Our take
Investigative reporters and feature writers with high-impact, long-form reporting published in the qualifying timeframe should prioritize applying before the October 31, 2026 deadline, whereas authors of broadcast-only, academic, or short breaking-news content are not eligible.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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