Three freelance writers have been awarded grants to work on their ambitious journalism projects.

In January, The Spinoff announced the Vince Geddes In-Depth Journalism Fund, supported by the Auckland Radio Trust (ART). The fund was established to provide much-needed financial and editorial support to talented freelance journalists, empowering them to produce in-depth, high-quality journalism in an increasingly constrained media landscape.

Across the year, six grants would be awarded to support freelance journalists producing stories that take time, research and intensive reporting, with the editorial and structural support of The Spinoff – where the completed features would be published.

Today, after a very strong set of applications in the first round, The Spinoff is delighted to announce the first three recipients of the Vince Geddes In-Depth Journalism Fund. Each recipient will receive a $5,000 grant to support the completion of an in-depth piece of journalism, as selected by a panel of senior editors at The Spinoff. The recipients are:

• Oliver Neas, who will be working on a business investigation.
• Anna Rankin, who will be working on a regional feature.
• Janhavi Gosavi, who will be working on an internet investigation.

The Spinoff will play a key role in supporting the awardees throughout the production of their stories. Journalists will receive editorial guidance from The Spinoff, including detailed feedback, sub-editing, fact-checking and legal advice (where necessary) to ensure their work meets the highest journalistic standards.

All three in-depth features will be published on the Spinoff this year, with audio recording and additional features.

Congratulations to Oliver, Anna and Janhavi!

The second round of applications will open June 9, 2025.