The project focuses on enhancing newsrooms in the Western Balkans and Visegrad regions to engage citizens in reporting by using a digital audience engagement tool. This tool will crowdsource information from citizens and produce stories of local importance, attracting new and diverse audiences, including women, young people, and marginalised groups.
Summary
Media Innovation Europe is being implemented in 10 countries across the Visegrad and Western Balkans regions. The project aims to support independent media outlets in their efforts to engage different communities in reporting. It seeks to foster collaboration and partnership, promote media freedom and integrity, and encourage media outlets to serve as watchdogs, thereby promoting active citizenship. Communities play an essential role in shaping media content and amplifying diverse voices, including women, young people, marginalised groups, and ethnic minorities. Fifteen selected media outlets will learn to capture citizens’ engagement using BIRN’s digital tool and prepare impactful stories with the support of mentors.
Donor
European Commission, Creative Europe
Main Activities
Audience Engagement:
- Grant funding for audience engagement and content production support.
- Training in audience engagement for selected media outlets.
- Mentoring support for the production of audience engagement content and cross-border collaborative stories for journalists.
- Access to BIRN’s tool for audience engagement for journalists and media outlets.
- Production of stories based on audience engagement using BIRN’s tool.
- Support for Media Innovation Festivals for media practitioners, entrepreneurs, and leaders on trends and innovations.
Target Groups
Independent media outlets in the Western Balkans and Visegrad countries.
Main Implementer
International Press Institute
Partners
Thomson Media and The Fix Foundation