BIRN Serbia and portal Juzne vesti from Nis will implement a support programme in seven local portals in Serbia for the next two years, as part of the joint project “Digital Media Action”.
The selected portals are Bujanovacke from Bujanovac, Presek from Kragujevac, Ozonpress.net from Cacak, Glas Zajecara and Zajecar online from Zajecar, SOinfo from Sombor and Loznicke novosti from Loznica.
The programme, supported by the British Embassy in Belgrade, is designed in accordance with the needs and capacities of these local media outlets, and offers support in the field of promotion, technical improvement of the websites and mentoring of journalists and editors.
Twenty-six portals applied for the support programme, with each assessed on three sets of selection criteria:
- editorial orientations, formats and dynamics of content publishing
- technical and personnel capacities
- positions on social networks and in the local community
After making their choice of winning applicants, the selection committee said that the selected local portals have the potential to develop a quality daily informative production in the next two years, and to become the primary source of information in their communities.
In addition, the programme aims to modernise local media outlets, help them to develop a social media strategy, and find a self-sustaining business model.