Preparing news media in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia for the digital age

The project aims to equip civil society organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with comprehensive knowledge of media pluralism, media freedoms, and access to information necessary in the digital transition of the news media sector. Given the significant overlap between the two media landscapes and the comparable challenges they face, two NGOs from both countries will be directly involved in the project. The intention of the project is to provide these partners with assistance in enhancing the capacity of journalists to produce news content and effectively advocate for media regulation in the rapidly digitizing news media environment. The project will also raise awareness among journalists, editors, media professionals, policy makers, other stakeholders, and the wider public about the expanding challenges of the digital news media ecosystem. The aim is to facilitate the exchange of know-how between our two partners from the Western Balkans and their counterparts in Prague and Brussels, both in terms of legislative and practical aspects of news content production and access to reliable news. First of all, the project will provide an assessment of the current situation of the media space in BiH and Serbia. In close cooperation with our partners, two background analyses on the challenges of digitisation will be developed in preparation for the study visits. This will be followed by a three-day trip to Prague and Brussels, which will allow four selected editors and journalists from both countries to learn about the latest standards in news content production and legislative developments in the field of digital news at the Czech and EU level. Upon return, participants from each country should write an op-ed to raise awareness of the issue among the wider population. In addition, both organisations will work closely with EUROPEUM to produce a handbook for media professionals, policymakers, and wider stakeholders in BiH and Serbia. Finally, the project will conclude with the popularisation of this publication through a public debate in Belgrade and Sarajevo.

The project is supported by the Transition Promotion Program of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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