Over a week, an international independent jury will evaluate the applications and select 10 winners who will receive training, mentoring, and legal support, as well as funding to create their own investigative and analytical materials with a focus on a broad spectrum of topics, including social justice, protection of human rights; corruption; consequences of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine; the life of population nearby the war zone; EU support for Ukraine; changes in the regions after decentralization, and so on.
The jury will work until June 23. On July 14-16, the first training for the selected participants conducted by experienced coaches from Ukraine and abroad will be organized in Kyiv.
The project is implemented by the Eastern Europe Studies Center (Lithuania) in partnership with the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the Lithuanian Union of Journalists. The project, to be conducted during the period of 2021-2022 aims to offer capacity building and support to actors with significant experience in the media domain, working in investigative journalism and storytelling. Through a mix of trainings, consultations, and small grants, the project seeks to enhance the quality of public discourse and higher standards of reporting, all as a measure against disinformation and polarization. In addition, it seeks to contribute to the sustainability of media and investigative journalism with the focus on regional and local media.
Over the 8 months of the project, journalists will take part in two training sessions for capacity and partnership building, including on the issues and ways of investigative work. Participants will receive legal support during the creation of their own materials and will learn more about the sustainability of investigative journalism and critical media in changing media landscape. For the implementation of selected investigative projects or the preparation of analytical materials, local media journalists will receive small individual financial grants.
Project information
The initiative “Stimulus for independent journalism across the regions of Ukraine” aims to offer capacity building and support to actors with significant experience in the media domain, working in investigative journalism and storytelling. The project, through trainings, consultations, and small grants seeks to enhance the quality of public discourse, higher standards of reporting, as a measure against disinformation and polarization as well as contribute to the sustainability of media and investigative journalism with the focus on regional and local media.
The project is funded through the Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania.
