The project aims to provide civil society organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia with comprehensive knowledge of media pluralism, media freedom and access to information, which is necessary in the digital transition of the media sector.
Given the significant overlap of the two media landscapes and the comparable challenges they face, two NGOs, one from each country, will be directly involved in the project.
The intention of the project is to provide assistance to these partners in strengthening the capacity of journalists to produce news and effectively advocate for media regulation in a rapidly digitizing media environment.
The project will also raise awareness among journalists, editors, media professionals, policy makers, other stakeholders and the general public about the growing challenges of the digital media ecosystem.
The aim is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between the two partners from the Western Balkans and their counterparts in Prague and Brussels, both in terms of legislative and practical aspects of news production and access to reliable news.
First of all, the project will provide an assessment of the current state of the media space in BiH and Serbia. Two analyzes will be done on the challenges of digitization in preparation for the study visits. This will be followed by a three-day trip to Prague and Brussels, which will allow selected editors and journalists from both countries to learn about the latest standards in the production of informative content and news related to legislation in the field of digital news at the Czech and EU level. Upon their return, participants from each country will write texts aimed at raising awareness of these issues among the general population.
Additionally, both organizations will collaborate with the project holder EUROPEUM on the development of a manual for media professionals, policy makers, and other interested parties in BiH and Serbia. The end of the project will be marked by the popularization of this publication through a public debate in Belgrade and Sarajevo.
