Free Press Unlimited Announces the 2024 Collaborative Journalism Fellows

 18 April 2024

Free Press Unlimited, an international press freedom organisation dedicated to supporting media and journalists worldwide, is pleased to announce the selection of 20 fellows for the 2024 Collaborative Journalism Fellowship. Following a competitive application process, an internationally diverse cohort of fellows has been chosen from a pool of 109 applicants representing 25 countries across Europe.

The Collaborative Journalism Fellowship, part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI), aims to equip early and mid-career journalists with the skills necessary to develop and execute collaborative cross-border investigations. Fellows will participate in a five-month programme (April-August 2024) consisting of online training sessions, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and in-person networking events and masterclasses.

"We believe in the power of collaborative journalism to drive positive change and promote transparency and accountability," said Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited. "Through this fellowship, we aim to empower journalists with the tools and resources they need to produce impactful cross-border investigations that address pressing issues and inform the public."

Throughout the fellowship, fellows will have access to experienced mentors from CIJI's regional media hubs and partner networks, including Investigate Europe, Journalists in Need Network, Rise Project Romania, Delfi, OBC Transeuropa, and Fundacja Reporterów. They will also have the opportunity to apply for cross-border reporting grants, with ten grants worth up to 10,000 EUR each available upon completion of the fellowship.

"It's been exciting to bring together this group of talented journalists from across Europe," said Carolyn Thompson, an award-winning data and investigative journalist and the coordinator of the fellowship. "Each of the journalists comes with different experiences, subjects of interest, and regional knowledge. We're excited to see how they will combine these into meaningful investigative projects."

The fellows will participate in a kick-off networking meeting in May 2024, followed by an advanced collaborative journalism course in June 2024. Weekly online meetings will be held from April to August 2024 to guide effective collaboration, investigative skills, communication, and project management.

The selection process

The open call for applications for the Collaborative Journalism Fellowship ran between 7 February - 4 March 2024. Over 100 candidates from 25 countries across Europe applied for the fellowship. The jury, consisting of CIJI consortium partners and CIJI regional media hubs, reviewed the applications and made the final selection. Selection criteria included the quality and originality of the proposals, diversity of ideas, candidate’s experience, and motivation to be involved in collaborative projects beyond CIJI. The jury also looked to ensure a geographic balance and diversity of perspectives in the fellowship cohort.  

About Free Press Unlimited

Free Press Unlimited is an international press freedom organisation that supports media and journalists worldwide. With over 300 local media partners in more than 50 countries, Free Press Unlimited works to make independent news and information available to everyone.

About the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI)

CIJI is a collaborative journalism initiative aimed at equipping independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, networking infrastructure, and methods for high-quality, ethical, and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. Conducted in partnership with Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Tactical Tech (TT), Free Press Unlimited, Fundacja Reporterów (FR), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), and Delfi, CIJI promotes collaborative storytelling and peer support in the journalism community.

Call for Participants: Training-of-Trainers for Journalists and Investigators

Deadline 18 April 2024 CET

Application form

Program duration: 30 April - 27 June 2024

Are you a journalist, fact-checker, OSINT investigator or public interest researcher and would like to share your skills and experience with others? Do you want to gain the skills and confidence to capture the attention of audiences at international conferences and educational events? This free online Training of Trainers will get you started with the art of facilitation and public speaking! We are calling for applications from journalists and other media professionals based in Europe who are interested in enhancing their training expertise and workshop design and development skills to deliver knowledge to peers, students, organisations, newsrooms, and other beneficiaries.

This program is open to participants from the following European regions: EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden), non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Serbia). We welcome participants from Belarus, Russia, or Ukraine legally residing within the EU.

The Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) is offering a free online Training of Trainers (ToT) program for Europe-based journalists and other media professionals between 30 April and 27 June 2024. This ToT program will be co-hosted by four leading organisations in journalism, investigation and media  & civil society support: Tactical Tech, Fundacja Reporterów, OBC Transeuropa, and Delfi, as part of CIJI.

CIJI is an EU-funded initiative carried out in partnership by Tactical Tech, Reporters Without Borders, Free Press Unlimited, Fundacja Reporterów, OBC Transeuropa, and Delfi. CIJI aims to strengthen the collaborative journalism ecosystem through training, resources, investigation and networking opportunities.

What is the Training of Trainers about?

This program will provide 45 Europe-based journalists and other media professionals with the skills, tools and confidence to turn their already acquired knowledge and experience into interactive, engaging workshops, talks and other learning events that can be adapted to any context, from international conference stages to thematic workshops or classrooms.

The program includes the following:

1. Interactive training-of-trainers sessions: a series of 8 training sessions of two hours each (see full program schedule below), designed to enhance your knowledge-sharing skills as well as:

• Fundamental adult learning and teaching techniques 
• Audience needs assessment methods
• Training and presentation design skills 
• Workshop facilitation and audience engagement tools 
• Confident public speaking
• Active listening, evaluation and feedback processes for a successful knowledge-sharing experience.

2. Hands-on practice sessions to apply what you learn and:

• Plan your own skill / knowledge-sharing session (workshop, conference talk) on a topic of your choice and based on your own professional experience
• Gradually design and develop your session throughout the training, benefiting from peer feedback and expert ToT coaching
• Run your own designed session in a safe space, for an audience of peers and receive constructive feedback from your audience and ToT trainer.

3. Learning and training resources, peer-feedback sessions and coaching with a dedicated team of facilitators who will:

• Support you in your learning process and confidence building as a trainer / facilitator / speaker
• Mentor you and provide constant feedback to your progress and practical tasks
• Share valuable learning materials and tools you can use in your own training activities after this program
• Facilitate your networking and collaboration with like-minded participants.

Language:

• The sessions will be in English and require a good command of the language.

Trainer and facilitators:

• Your Training of Trainers sessions will be provided by Brandon Oelofse (expert trainer with 10+ years of experience in ToT for journalists, co-founder of the Media Development Collective) and a team of experienced facilitators from Tactical Tech, Fundacja Reporterów, OBC Transeuropa, and Delfi.

Training Certificate:

• At the end of the ToT program, participants who attend at least 90% of the sessions (including the Practice sessions) will receive a Certificate of Training of Trainers Program Completion.

Training of Trainers agenda

The program will enrol 45 participants, who will be placed in three separate training groups — each with its own session schedule - to allow for better interactivity and learning experience in smaller groups.

To accommodate a variety of time preferences and needs, we aim to divide participants into groups according to the schedule below. Each group will receive the same training, but participants cannot move between groups.

You will be asked to sign up to one preferred time when you apply to this ToT program.

ToT Schedule: 30 April - 27 June 2024

You can download a .pdf copy of this schedule here.

NOTE: This Training of Trainers program provides a free learning and collaboration opportunity, and we cannot provide stipends or grants for the time spent attending the online training sessions or practical activities.

Who is this program for?

Apply if you:

• Are a journalist, fact-checker, OSINT investigator or other media professional (freelance or affiliated to and independent media / newsrooms / NGOs, etc.) who wishes to develop their training and workshop design and facilitation skills to share knowledge with others.
• Are from or working in one of the following countries: EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech  Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden), non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Serbia). We welcome participants from Belarus, Russia, or Ukraine legally residing within the EU.
• Have developed experience in journalism, investigation and research on issues of public interest and you are now interested in acquiring knowledge, skills and competencies to transfer your knowledge to others in your communities and networks. We welcome participants with diverse backgrounds, topic interests and experiences.
• Wish to connect and share knowledge with a network of experienced trainers, investigators and practitioners and meet like-minded peers.
• Have an interest in or work on local / regional / crossborder issues and have fewer opportunities to access cross-national collaboration and skill-sharing events.

What will I gain if I attend?

• Free access to state-of-the art Training of Trainers sessions, learning materials, and feedback to your own workshop design/facilitation practice.
• Thematic workshop curricula on investigation methods and safety from Tactical Tech and new resources you can use in your own post-program work and trainings.
• Networking and trust building with other participants and opportunities to start new collaborations across topics and borders.
• Access to our CIJI network of partners for possible further collaboration and networking. 

The program also provides a Training Certificate to participants who attend at least 90% of the Training of Trainers sessions and complete the practical module.

How to apply?

• Apply to this Training of Trainers program by completing this APPLICATION FORM
• By: 18 April 2024 CET (midnight Central European Time)

Selection process

• We aim to bring together 45 participants (see application requirements in the above section “Who is this program for?)
• Applications will be evaluated and considered on a rolling basis, therefore we encourage you to apply early in the process as places might fill up by the deadline.
• All successful applicants will be informed by 19 April 2024. 

Contact

You can reach out to us with questions about the application process or the project by writing to: eti@tacticaltech.org (GPG Key / fingerprint: BD30 C622 D030 FCF1 38EC C26D DD04 627E 1411 0C02).

The Training of Trainers is part of the CIJI project co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Call for Participants: "Investigating the Influence Industry in Elections" Mastercourse 18 - 30 April 2024

Deadline 7 April 2024

We are inviting journalists, researchers and civil society investigators with a passion for conducting investigations into the political influence industry and how personal data and data-driven technologies are used to influence voters, elections and political processes.

What to expect

The "Investigating the Influence Industry in Elections" mastercourse will take place online and it will cover:

• tools and tactics that political actors and the companies they work with are using to conduct political influence,
• investigation techniques and cases specific to researching the political use of data-driven technologies and their surrounding industry,
• networking and skill-sharing opportunities among participants to encourage connections with each other’s work and to advance this area of knowledge and investigation.

The mastercourse will be a mix of lectures and guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and discussion-based activities. The online sessions will be accompanied by resources provided by Tactical Tech's Influence Industry Project.

Dates and times

Online workshops will take place between 18 - 30 April 2024 from 09:00 to 12:00 CET (Central European Time). The sessions will take place on five half-days as listed below:

• 18 April (Thursday) | 09:00 to 12:00 CET
• 23 April (Tuesday ) | 09:00 to 12:00 CET
• 24 April (Wednesday) | 09:00 to 12:00 CET
• 25 April (Thursday) | 09:00 to 12:00 CET
• 30 April (Tuesday) | 09:00 to 12:00 CET

See a Proposed Agenda of this Mastercourse here

Who is this mastercourse for?

Apply if you are:

• an independent journalist working with independent media organisations or as a freelancer
• a civil society/'citizen' investigator or researcher
• a member of an NGO or other research organisation using and benefiting from investigation methods in the public interest
• an academic or student researching a related topic
• any other member of civil society with a demonstrated passion and curiosity for applying investigative methods and standards to document, verify and expose issues of public interest.

We particularly encourage you to apply if:

• you are working in or with communities across Europe either locally or across borders
• you have interest in or work on local/regional issues and have fewer opportunities to access cross-national collaboration and skill-sharing events
• you wish to gain more skills and knowledge from others and connect with a network of experienced investigators and practitioners
• you are passionate about starting your own investigations and want to learn more about techniques you can apply.

How to apply

Apply by filling in this survey by 7 April 2024.

Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis. Acceptances confirmed to participants on 10th April.

Please Note – this workshop provides a free learning and collaboration opportunity, and we do not provide stipends or grants for attending the online sessions.

About the hosts

The Influence Industry Project is lead since 2016 by Tactical Tech’s Data and Politics team addressing the pervasive data-driven technologies used by political groups within elections and political campaigns. We’ve unpacked the technical processes of campaign apps, examined the spending on campaign and communication consultants, and worked with partners to investigate how data-driven tools are used in elections worldwide.

Tactical Tech’s Exposing the Invisible (ETI) project promotes and enables the safe and ethical use of investigative techniques to expose wrongdoing and promote transparency. ETI provides regular workshops, investigation and training institutes, has been developing an online Kit for investigators, and facilitates a growing network of journalists, community investigators, artists, researchers, activists, technologists and NGOs who believe in the power of investigation as an important form of public engagement.

____

This event is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

[Closed] Call for Training of Trainers Expert | April – July 2024

Deadline 3 March 2024

The Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI), an EU-funded initiative, is seeking a professional facilitator of Training of Trainers (ToT) to deliver online ToT workshops to journalists and other media professionals who wish to improve their training and facilitation skills in various topics related to collaborative journalism and digital investigation.

The ToT facilitator will work closely with a team of CIJI members coordinated by Tactical Tech to help prepare, facilitate and document a series of live online ToT workshops and mentoring throughout April – July 2024.

The position is part-time for a maximum of 30 working days divided across the above-mentioned timeline.

Workshop curriculum, planning and organising support for the ToTs will be provided by Tactical Tech and other CIJI members.

The ToT facilitator will provide the participants — Europe-based journalists and other media professionals — with general learning principles and methods of adult education, as well as skills to create a complete workshop, in an accessible, user-friendly and adaptable manner, based on participants' profiles, context and needs.

The facilitator’s role will be key to the success of the ToT program, and should focus not just on leading training and practical activity sessions but also on active listening, responding and adapting to participants’ feedback and expectations.

The language of the ToT workshops is English.

Role and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with our team to review and adapt our existing training curriculum to this ToT program’s needs and requirements, in an accessible and engaging way.
• Work with our team to identify and address our audience’s ToT needs.
• Prepare, lead and facilitate live, online ToT workshops with at least 45 participants divided in groups of 15-20 each (requiring separate - repeated - sessions for each group).
• Help mentor ToT participants in-between live sessions, addressing important questions - with assistance from the CIJI team.
• Conduct feedback rounds and needs assessments with participants at various stages of the program to make sure that necessary changes are addressed in upcoming sessions.
• Conduct a final evaluation of the program and prepare a ToT report that includes an analysis of pre- and post-tests, feedback and recommendations.
• Regularly communicate with our team members to review, feedback, adapt and implement ToT workshop materials addressing participants' needs.
• Apply best practices in learning technologies and instructional design.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• At least 3 years of working experience in conducting Training of Trainers, design and facilitation of adult learning/education, and mentoring trainers.
• Demonstrated experience working ‘in the field’ with diverse audiences both in terms of profession, gender, ethnicity, geography, etc. and in terms of levels of training experience.
• Experience in adapting and delivering educational materials for international audiences.
• Experience with adult education and adult learning practices.
• Excellent Active Listening skills, to ensure feedback reception, response and sharing to and among training participants.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to effectively convey technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Lesson and curriculum planning and delivery skills.
• Excellent, native-English-level speaking / listening / writing skills.
• Adaptability and flexibility when working as part of a team and as a training facilitator, ability to swiftly adjust to participants’ needs.
• Experience conducting ToT with civil society actors, including media, is a plus but not a must.

If what you’ve read sounds like you, and you are an experienced Trainer of Trainers with excellent workshop facilitation skills, send us your application today.

Consultancy Details

• This is a part-time, temporary position for a maximum 30-day contract spanning across maximum four months: April - July 2024.
• Fees vary with experience, but are highly competitive within the non-governmental sector.
• We will offer a consultancy contract for a limited term position. Your contractor will be Tactical Tech. Tactical Tech is a non-profit organisation based in Berlin, Germany. The working language of the organisation is English.
• Remote work from a location outside of Germany / EU is possible, with a limitation to the GMT +/-3 timezone range. **Please note that all ToT events will be conducted online, and live sessions will be planned based on the Central European Time zone (CET).

To apply:

Deadline for applications: 3 March 2024

• Please submit your application via email to eti@tacticaltech.org - with the subject line: “ToT facilitator”
• Include an attached CV and a covering letter detailing your suitability for the post and your availability. Please add any public links to relevant work and projects.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for online interviews on a rolling basis, by mid-March 2024.

Questions can be addressed at eti@tacticaltech.org

We are looking forward to receiving your expressions of interest!

About the Project

This call and collaboration is part of the EU-funded project Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI), which supports independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure and standards-based methods that enable them to practice high-quality, ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. CIJI is carried out in partnership by Tactical Tech, Free Press  Unlimited, Reporters Without Borders, Fundacja Reporterow, OBC Transeuropa and Delfi. CIJI is a network-based initiative that promotes ethical media standards, offers training and capacity building opportunities and a forum for collaboration and peer-support. 

Free Press Unlimited is excited to announce its 2024 Collaborative Journalism Fellowship 

Amsterdam, 7th February 2024

Free Press Unlimited is an international press freedom organisation that supports media and journalists worldwide. We collaborate with over 300 local media partners in more than 50 countries. With them, we work on our mission to make independent news and information available to everyone.

Are you passionate about collaborative journalism and eager to enhance your skills, creating impactful cross-border projects?

Apply for our free Collaborative Journalism Fellowship

The Call 

The Fellowship is part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI), aiming to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure, and standards-based methods for high-quality, ethical, and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. CIJI is conducted in partnership with Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Tactical Tech (TT), Fundacja Reporterów (FR), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), and Delfi, aspiring to become a network-based initiative promoting ethical standards, offering training, capacity-building opportunities, and a forum for collaboration and peer support.

The trainers

The Fellowship will be led by Carolyn Thompson, an award-winning data and investigative journalist. “I firmly believe journalism is stronger when done collaboratively - for its ability to see many angles, and make use of tools and techniques crossing regions,” says Carolyn.

Fellows will have access to experienced mentors coming from CIJI’s regional media hubs and their partner networks: Investigate Europe, Journalists in Need Network, Rise Project Romania, Delfi, OBC Transeuropa and Fundacja Reporterów.

Who can apply?

We invite journalists, both staff and freelance, from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply for our five-month programme.

This call is open to applicants from one of the EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden), non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Serbia), and participants from Belarus, Russia, or Ukraine legally residing within the EU.

The fellowship will consist of an online curriculum, in-person meetings, and the opportunity to apply for cross-border story grants upon successful completion.

• A Kick off networking meeting (23-24 May 2024, 1,5-2 days, location in Europe tba)

An in-person networking meeting that will convene participants in a tba location in Europe to meet each other, their mentors and representatives from CIJI’s regional media hubs and consortium partners. Depending on the venue and travel distance, fellows should calculate a 3-day commitment. All costs will be covered by the programme.

• An Advanced Collaborative Journalism course (July 2024, 3 days, location in Europe tbc)   

A three day course, with in-depth sessions and various modules on collaborative cross-border investigations; OSINT, SLAPPS, safety and security, countering disinformation, etc. Depending on the venue and travel distance, fellows should calculate a 5-day commitment. All costs will be covered by the programme.

• Online training curriculum (April - August 2024)

A series of interactive training sessions, workshops and collaborative sessions aimed to provide guidance on effective team collaboration, communication, and project management. These sessions will be held every Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. CET. Fellows must commit to attending these online sessions in order to take part in the programme. Fellows will work in groups to exchange ideas and develop collaborative cross-border projects. 

• Mentorship

Fellows will have access to mentors with extensive experience in collaborative and/or investigative journalism, who will support the fellows in developing their collaborative story ideas. 

• Cross-border Grant Opportunity

Fellows will have the opportunity to apply for cross-border reporting grants, upon successful fellowship completion. Ten grants, each worth 10 000 EUR will be made available through a competitive open call for applications, which will open at the end of the fellowship. The cross-border stories will need to be implemented between December 2024 and June 2025.

If you are selected for this opportunity, you will be expected to:

• Attend and actively engage in the two in-person events: kick-off meeting and Advanced Collaborative Journalism course ( eight days in May and July). 
• Actively engage and participate in the full online trajectory (April-August 2024).
• Bring a collaborative mindset and actively engage with other fellows, supporting and inspiring each other with your input/feedback.  

We expect fellows to be able to attend a minimum of 80% of the weekly online meetings and dedicate a few hours a week to their projects and collaborative work. Additionally, mentorship sessions of up to two hours will be scheduled according to the availability of fellows and mentors.

Who should apply? 

• We invite independent journalists, staff and freelance, from all EU countries and selected Creative Europe countries as well as participants from Belarus, Russia, or Ukraine legally residing within the EU to apply. Applicants need to reside in these countries for the duration of the fellowship. 
• We welcome journalists who are passionate about collaborative storytelling as well as professionals eager to develop cross-border projects. 
• Applicants don’t need to have extensive experience in collaborative journalism to apply for this programme. Fellows will also have the opportunity to shape or change their original pitches during the fellowship and apply with those for the collaborative story grants. 
• Journalists who work in media organisations that are state owned and/or editorially controlled by state authorities are not eligible for the Fellowship. 
• Journalists need to possess an advanced knowledge of the English language to be able to fully participate in all activities. 
• We actively encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

How to apply?

• Interested and eligible candidates can apply by completing this application form. Only applications received through this online form will be considered. All applications need to be submitted in English.

Applications are accepted until 4 March 2024, 23:59 CET.

Selection process and criteria
 
 The jury, consisting of the Collaborative Journalism Consultant in close collaboration with Free Press Unlimited, and CIJI’s regional media hubs and consortium partners, will guide its decision by the following criteria:

• Applicant’s credentials and professional experience
• Applicant’s motivation, commitment to the fellowship trajectory and approach to collaborative and ethical journalism   
• Reach, Relevance and Impact of the proposed story ideas 
• Applicants' capacity to positively impact media and journalism
• Applicants expected use of learning outcomes beyond the time of the fellowship
• Applicant’s commitment to engage with fellow colleagues and their capacity to cross-share the learnings 
• English proficiency

Additionally, the jury will look to ensure a balance across:

• Target countries
• Proposed story themes
• Applicants’ experience
• Freelance and employed journalists 

Timeline

• 4 March 2024, 23:59 CET - Application deadline
• Mid March 2024 - Jury selection and communication to the selected fellows
• 1 April  - 31 August - Fellowship activities that will include weekly online meetings, group assignments, individual mentoring sessions, one networking meeting in May, and the advanced collaborative journalism course in July 2024
• 23 -24 May - Kick off networking meeting
• July - In-person Advanced Journalism Collaborative course 
• July- September 2024 - open call for cross-border story grants (more information to follow)

Contact information

For any clarifying questions on the application, please get in touch with us via email: ciji@freepressunlimited.org 
 

Implementing partners

Free Press Unlimited (FPU) is a non-profit organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that works to make independent news and information available to everyone, particularly in countries with limited (press) freedom. Free Press Unlimited helps journalists and media professionals with emergency support, advice, training and capacity building in more than 50 countries, together with over 300 partners worldwide.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a Paris-based non-profit organisation that promotes journalistic freedom, pluralism and independence. This includes defending those who embody these ideals. RSF provides information about the media freedom situation throughout the world and provides journalists with concrete support by means of campaigns, advocacy, litigation, legal aid and material assistance. RSF has also launched initiatives designed to promote the right to reliable news and information, especially in the digital domain.

Tactical Tech (TT) is an international non-profit organisation with 20+ years of experience in leading capacity building projects and collaborative investigation resources with and for journalists and other media actors around the world. TT's Exposing the Invisible project develops resources, trainings and collaborations promoting investigation as one of the most important forms of public engagement.

Fundacja Reporterów (FR) is the first non-profit journalistic organisation in Poland entirely focused on independent, cross-border, investigative journalism in Central Europe. It was founded in 2010 by award-winning Polish investigative journalists. The organisation’s mission is the development of quality investigative journalism, promoting journalism as a public good, and publishing high-quality stories in the public interest. The FR is dedicated to strengthening independent investigative journalism; holding power to account; reporting on wrongdoings, and informing audiences in Poland and Central Eastern Europe.

OBC Transeuropa is a think tank which combines empirical research and journalism to report on the socio-political and cultural developments of the six EU member states in South-East Europe, of seven countries taking part in the EU Enlargement process, and much of post-communist Europe included in the European Neighbourhood Policy, by also keeping an eye on European affairs more in general.

Delfi UAB is the Lithuanian branch of the largest Baltic news portal Delfi. Delfi. lt has been a leading online news media outlet in Lithuania for over 20 years. It is visited by over 700,000 unique visitors a day. Besides its main field of operations - news reporting - Delfi has been very active in various democracy-serving initiatives. Delfi has expertise in international projects focusing on the deconstruction of disinformation, investigative journalism, and media literacy. 

This project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Jury reveal: CIJI Awards 150,000 EUR to Three Regional Media Hubs Supporting Collaborative and Investigative Journalism in Europe

Amsterdam, 25 January 2024

"I believe that investigative journalism is the most interesting, profound, and inspiring type of reporting. The dedication to investigative journalism and collaboration in the competition elevates this field even further." - Alina Radu, member of the jury.

The Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) has announced the recipients of grants totaling 150,000 EUR, aimed at fostering collaborative and investigative journalism in Europe. The awarded organisations, the RISE Project Romania, Investigate Europe and Journalists in Need Network will act as regional hubs respectively for Romania, connecting journalists from Eastern and Western Europe, and exiled journalists from Russia and Belarus.

The three regional hubs have been selected after a competitive open call to which 27 organisations responded. The independent jury, consisting of six renowned media professionals and academics, carefully selected the winning organisations based on their track record in regional collaborative and investigative journalism training as well as their potential to act as regional ambassador for CIJI.

Alina Radu: Investigative reporter and co-owner of Ziarul de Garda (ZdG) 

Alina is a media expert and media trainer, but also promotes visual arts about investigative reporting and is organising every year public exhibitions devoted to investigative reporting stories. Ziarul de Gardais the most subscribed newspaper in Moldova, and www.zdg.md is in the Top 10 among all websites in the country.

Jakub Patočka: Founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Deník Referendum

Jakub has published in most major Czech media and in international media such as The Guardian, EU Observer, Lettre Internationale, Social Europe Journal, Green Europe Journal and Kultura Liberalna. In 2017, he co-authored the best-selling book “The Yellow Baron” investigating the links between political and economic interests of the Czech oligarch and Czech prime-minister Andrej Babiš.

Oleg Khomenok: Media trainer and Senior Media Advisor at Internews Network

Oleg is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Investigative Journalists Network (GIJN), expert at the International Fact-Checking Network, member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics of Ukraine. He has over 27 years of experience in journalism, media education, PR, management of investigative journalism and media support projects. Over the past two decades he has conducted hundreds of trainings in investigative journalism techniques and strategies for investigative reporters in Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

Marija Ristic: Investigative journalist and manager at Amnesty International Crisis Response Programme

Marija Ristic is an investigative journalist, with a decade-long experience in media development, war crimes reporting, open-source research and emerging technologies. Before joining Amnesty International, Marija was the executive director of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, a leading media non-profit in Southeast and Central Europe. Under her leadership, BIRN won numerous awards, including the European Press Prize and Reporters Without Borders Annual Press Freedom Award.

"Under unprecedented circumstances, journalists in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus have created media networks in exile that become vital voices telling the stories of war and dictatorship. It is crucial to support and nurture this type of media." - stressed Marija

Marius Dragomir: Director of the Media and Journalism Research Center 

Marius is also a professor at Central European University (CEU) in Vienna where he teaches journalism and research design courses as well as practical classes on advocacy and policy engagement. He is also a researcher with the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Marius worked before as the director of the Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS), a research institution in Budapest. Prior to that, he managed the global research and policy portfolio of the Program on Independent Journalism (PIJ), formerly the Network Media Program (NMP), of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) in London.

"I was impressed to see a lot of quality proposals coming from both Romania and Bulgaria, a sign of the maturity of the independent media sector, which, although very small and under constant pressure, has gradually boosted its outreach and impact in recent years." - emphasised Marius.

Rita Ruduša: Journalist, former public media executive, and founder of the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence. She represents Latvia at the UNESCO International Programme for Development of Communication and is the author of two books. 

The grants are part of the “Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative” (CIJI), which aims to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure, and standards-based methods that enable them to practice high-quality, ethical, and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. CIJI is run by a consortium with Tactical Tech (TT), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Free Press Unlimited, Fundacja Reporterow (FR), OBC Transeuropa and Delfi.

This project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do  not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European  Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European  Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

CIJI awards 150 000 EUR to three regional media hubs to support ‘Collaborative and Investigative Journalism in Europe’ 

Amsterdam, 11 December 2023 

The RISE Project Romania, Investigate Europe and Journalists in Need Network have been awarded a combined total of 150 000 EUR to enhance collaborative and investigative journalism and act as regional hubs respectively for Romania, connecting journalists from Eastern and Western Europe, and exiled journalists from Russia and Belarus. 

The grants are part of the “Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative” (CIJI), which aims to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure, and standards-based methods that enable them to practice high-quality, ethical, and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. CIJI is run by a consortium with Tactical Tech (TT), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Free Press Unlimited, Fundacja Reporterow (FR), OBC Transeuropa and Delfi. 

"As we witness the growing challenges to independent journalism across Europe, it becomes more evident than ever that collaborative journalism and investigative reporting are essential pillars of a resilient democracy. By empowering regional hubs for collaborative and investigative media across Europe, we can fortify the foundations of a free press that stands resilient in the face of adversity." Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited.

“In the context of global crises and the rapid spread of information disorder, investigative journalism plays a critical role in providing audiences with evidence-based narratives. The regional hubs are particularly important in promoting collaborative and investigative practices that lead to a healthier information ecosystem." 

- Marek Tuszynski, Executive Director and co-founder of Tactical Tech.

An independent jury, consisting of renowned media professionals and academics, chose the winning organisations, based on their track record in regional collaborative and/or investigative journalism training, capacity building as well as their potential to engage a vast array of media actors on a regional level.  

These are the grant recipients: 

The RISE Project Romania

RISE Project is a leading investigative reporting organisation established in 2012 in Romania, part of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Network. Their mission is to develop investigative journalism and publish high-quality stories in the public interest. They investigate organized crime, and offshore businesses and expose money laundering schemes that involve companies in Romania and Eastern Europe. RISE Project is doing in-depth investigative journalism using state-of-the-art investigative techniques and technologies to generate high-quality reporting on local and cross-border organized crime and corruption networks. They educate other journalists and the public at large in researching complex corporate structures used by organized crime and corrupt officials.

“The corruption patterns are much the same in all countries in the region, but organised crime groups crossing borders have become increasingly sophisticated, so journalists need to regroup accordingly. Our immediate goal is to help as many journalists as possible to work on international projects, so this award came at the right time.”

- Romana Puiulet, Co-founder and board member of RISE Project. 

Investigate Europe

Investigate Europe (IE) is an award-winning, cross-border investigative journalism cooperative committed to delivering quality, in-depth journalism that matters to Europeans. IE’s  mission is to report on complex European issues from a multi-angled perspective, helping foster a better mutual understanding of the actors and structures at play. IE is a permanent cross-border collaborative team of 21 individuals (journalists, editors, producers, and managers), among them 15 investigative reporters from 11 countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the UK. The core of their work revolves around our in-depth investigations, researched over at least three months, with a specific cross-border perspective.

“I'm excited that Investigate Europe is joining the CIJI network as a regional hub to help strengthen collaborative investigative journalism by sharing our distinct cross-border approach. We cherish this opportunity to exchange with others and learn from each other whilst supporting the ecosystem of public interest media in Europe.” 

- Peter Matjašič, Executive Director of Investigate Europe.

Journalists in Need Network (jinn) is a Berlin-based non-profit organisation supporting journalists and media workers at risk, advancing investigative journalism and cross-border cooperation. Journalists in Need Network provides emergency help and creates new opportunities for exiled media in Germany and abroad. Consultancy, mentorship, educational and funding programs are aimed at capacity building of media outlets and freelance journalists, who were forced to leave their countries and are seeking new models, funding opportunities, and partner organisations in exile. One of the crucial and fast-developing fields of jinn’s work includes a co-working space. Exile Media Hub offers Berlin-based journalists from Belarus and Russia much-needed infrastructure to preserve the work of editorial teams and freelance journalists and fosters a tight-knit community of independent media.

“Collaborative investigative reporting can transcend boundaries. Uniting diverse perspectives, uncovering stories of significance and emphasizing the vital role of shared knowledge. Our commitment lies in empowering communities through informed discourse, spotlighting the profound impact of collective efforts. This CIJI's essence.”

- Sergey Medvedev, Managing Director of jinn.

The three regional hubs will be instrumental to independent journalists and media outlets in the respective regions that would like to build skills and expertise in pursuing and coordinating investigative work, connect to peers and deepen their understanding of tools and methods used in investigations, ensure the safety of their teams and sources, etc. The media hubs will act as a CIJI area ambassador and thus provide national/regional expertise to the consortium partners and assist in identifying relevant partners, mentors, trainers and potential grant applicants from the respective regions.

The call for applications to select regional media hubs ran between 1 and 31 October 2023. More information about CIJI is available at www.ciji.eu. 

Implementing partners

Free Press Unlimited (FPU) is a non-profit organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that works to make independent news and information available to everyone, particularly in countries with limited (press) freedom. Free Press Unlimited helps journalists and media professionals with emergency support, advice, training and capacity building in more than 50 countries, together with over 300 partners worldwide.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a Paris-based non-profit organisation that promotes journalistic freedom, pluralism and independence. This includes defending those who embody these ideals. RSF provides information about the media freedom situation throughout the world and provides journalists with concrete support by means of campaigns, advocacy, litigation, legal aid and material assistance. RSF has also launched initiatives designed to promote the right to reliable news and information, especially in the digital domain.

Tactical Tech (TT) is an international non-profit organisation with 20+ years of experience in leading capacity building projects and collaborative investigation resources with and for journalists and other media actors around the world. TT's Exposing the Invisible project develops resources, trainings and collaborations promoting investigation as one of the most important forms of public engagement.

Fundacja Reporterów(FR) is the first non-profit journalistic organisation in Poland entirely focused on independent, cross-border, investigative journalism in Central Europe. It was founded in 2010 by award-winning Polish investigative journalists. The organisation’s mission is the development of quality investigative journalism, promoting journalism as a public good, and publishing high-quality stories in the public interest. The FR is dedicated to strengthening independent investigative journalism; holding power to account; reporting on wrongdoings, and informing audiences in Poland and Central Eastern Europe.

OBC Transeuropa is a think tank which combines empirical research and journalism to report on the socio-political and cultural developments of the six EU member states in South-East Europe, of seven countries taking part in the EU Enlargement process, and much of post-communist Europe included in the European Neighbourhood Policy, by also keeping an eye on European affairs more in general.

Delfi UAB is the Lithuanian branch of the largest Baltic news portal Delfi. Delfi.lt has been a leading online news media outlet in Lithuania for over 20 years. It is visited by over 700,000 unique visitors a day. Beside its main field of operations - news reporting - Delfi has been very active in various democracy-serving initiatives. Delfi has expertise in international projects focusing on deconstruction of disinformation, investigative journalism, media literacy.

This project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

[Closed] Call for Applications - the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative to support second cohort of regional media hubs in Europe

Amsterdam, 2 October 2023

Free Press Unlimited (FPU) is launching an open call for applications for selection of three regional media hubs, as part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI). CIJI is run by a consortium with Tactical Tech (TT), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Fundacja Reporterow (FR), OBC Transeuropa and Delfi.

The call is open to media organisations that have a proven track record and an established media network in the field of collaborative and investigative journalism in one of the following respective regions:

• Bulgaria and/or Romania,
• any country of the European Union and candidate countries* as long as their work focuses on supporting journalists originally from Belarus, and/or Ukraine, and/or Russia who are legally residing in the EU as a result of the war in Ukraine and/or related to its imposed media censorship,
• any country of the European Union and candidate countries*, with a preference for Central Europe (Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia) provided their work focuses on collaboration among journalists and media outlets from Western and Eastern Europe.

Individual organisations, as well as joint applications from consortia and regional partnerships are encouraged. The programme’s guiding principle is regional engagement and empowering existing regional initiatives as opposed to creating new ones.

Selected applicants will benefit from financial support, training, resource sharing and exchange of best practices, collaborations, access to innovative methods and techniques - all following established journalism standards.

One media hub per region is anticipated to be funded. Each hub will be awarded 50,000 EUR to be able to perform their activities as CIJI regional hubs of collaborative and investigative journalism. The funding is meant to support the coordination activities of the regional hubs.

The three regional hubs will be instrumental to independent journalists and media outlets in the respective regions that would like to build skills and expertise in pursuing and coordinating investigative work, connect to peers and deepen their understanding of tools and methods used in investigations, ensure the safety of their teams and sources, etc.

Deadline and eligibility criteria

• Applications can be submitted via the online application form until 31 October 2023, 23:59 CET
• You can find more details about the eligibility criteria and selection process in this Call for Applications document
• This call is open to applicants registered in one of the EU countries or in one of the non-EU countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme

This call is part of the “Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative” (CIJI), which aims to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure and standards-based methods that enable them to practice high-quality, and ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism.

*List of eligible countries

This project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

A new edition of the Collaborative Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) launched in Berlin, in September 2023

Berlin, September 2023

During the next two years (2023-2025), CIJI, together with media outlets and journalists across Europe, will continue strengthening the collaborative journalism ecosystem through training, resources, investigation and networking opportunities.

The investigative journalism community has proven its ability to uncover and produce impactful and innovative stories on the world’s most dire challenges. Media and journalists make a difference with their investigative journalism work, a power that may now be more necessary than ever. Meanwhile, the community faces increasing safety, financial and logistical challenges that calls for urgent action. Because of this, we are delighted to announce the continuation of the Collaborative Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) and its new plan of activities that will take place between 2023 and 2025.

The project partners, Delfi,  Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Fundacja Reporterow (FR), OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), Reporters Without Borders  (RSF), and Tactical Tech (TT) met in Berlin on September 13th and 14th to kick-off the second iteration of CIJI, embarking on a strategic planning session for the next two years. Through resources, training, innovative networking infrastructure and standards-based methods, CIJI will continue collaborating closely with independent media outlets and individual media actors to achieve our main goal: to fortify the collaborative journalism ecosystem.

By advancing collaboration practices and nurturing the exchange of knowledge among media and journalists spanning from the Baltics to Central-Eastern  Europe and further south into Southeast and Southern Europe, CIJI aims to promote high-quality, ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism.

The project will also focus on supporting and connecting journalists in exile and refugee journalists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia to media and practitioners from Central Europe to increase capacity and strengthen the journalistic landscape along the whole eastern European borders. CIJI will expand the resources developed in the first project iteration, including investigation guides, training curricula, audio-visual material and more, with the aim of including more topics, methods and further adaptation to at least 15  languages.

Through its partnership-driven and collaborative approach to content creation and skills-sharing, CIJI is designed to support local ownership and ensure the longer-term sustainability of the action.

• “The project activities have strengthened our regional Visegrad network. We have succeeded in raising the profile of investigative journalism in our region by building permanent cross-border cooperation on investigative journalism published regularly on VSquare.com. Reporters’ Foundation - thanks to networking during CIJI - became an associate member of The European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet), which opened up new spaces for collaboration.” - Aleksandra Rutkowska, Head of Communications at Fundacja Reporterów. 

Our History and Impact

In the past two years, CIJI, carried out by Tactical Tech, Free Press Unlimited and Reporters Without Borders, fostered the growth of networks and media hubs in Europe through the identification and support of three regional hubs in the Baltic region (through Re:Baltica), South Eastern Europe (through OBC Transeuropa) and the Visegrad region (through Fundacja Reporterów). These hubs supported peer-to-peer cross-border journalistic collaborations, contributed to the sharing of best practices, and built the capacity of media actors to practice high-quality, ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. Two of these hubs (OBC Transeuropa and Fundacja Reporterów) are now partners in the second iteration of CIJI, alongside a new additional partner, Delfi.

• “CIJI has made us more aware of the crucial role we can play as a hub  for cross-border collaborative journalism in South Eastern Europe. We  also benefited from the training opportunities, both by developing our  potential as trainers and by gaining new knowledge as trainees. CIJI was  also a great opportunity for networking, leading to new collaborations  with people and organisations we met during the project.We were  able to involve dozens of journalists in the region in the networking  and training opportunities. This helped them to strengthen their skills  and create new opportunities for transnational collaboration. This was  particularly evident for those who successfully applied for the  collaborative reporting grants.” - Federico Caruso, Journalist and Researcher at OBCT.

In total, CIJI has supported media and journalists in 10 target countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, Spain). Over 400 investigators attended the events and training sessions that covered topics such as Collaborative Journalism Best-Practices, Digital & Physical Safety and Security for Investigators, Open-source Intelligence Methods, Fact-checking Cross-border Stories, Investigating Disinformation Networks, Working with International Investigative Networks, SLAPP and Smear Campaigns. In addition, the project trained 30 experienced journalists and media researchers to become trainers and help strengthen the capacity of additional media organisations and journalists at the local level.

CIJI is now launching an open call for applications for the selection of three new regional media hubs, as part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI). You can find more details about the eligibility criteria and selection process in this Call for Applications document. Applications can be submitted via the online application form until 31 October 2023, 23:59 CET.

This project is co-funded by the European Union. 

Disclaimer:

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Past announcements

Ten cross-border investigative teams win reporting grants under the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative

Amsterdam, 25 July 2022   

Ten cross-border investigative journalism teams have been awarded a combined total of 50 000 Euros within the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI). 

An independent jury representing The Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica (Latvia), OBC Transeuropa (Italy) and Fundacja Reporterow (Poland) selected the winning projects covering topics such as exploitation of Ukrainian war refugees; disinformation campaigns against humanitarian activists at the Polish-Lithuanian-Belorussian border; public figures in Europe pushing Russian propaganda; the hidden network of far-right ideologies and the spiritual world in Europe; social and economic dynamics of illegal fishing in Italy and Greece and more.  

Winning teams will be paired with a mentor who will provide individual guidance in the course of the project. The stories are expected to be published in August-September 2022. 

Run in partnership by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and Tactical Tech (TT), CIJI aims to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure and standards-based methods that enable them to practise high-quality, ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism. 

These are the winning projects: 

“How public figures are pushing Russian propaganda” 

This investigation will expose universal patterns of far-right and far-left pundits and propagandists in five European countries Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. What might seem as local isolated “propaganda incidents”, are in fact part of the much bigger misinformation campaign targeted to wider audiences and using similar patterns. Carried out by an international team of journalists, the results will be published by leading media outlets in the five target countries. 

“Investigating Czech and Slovak companies registered in tax havens”

"This investigation will explore Czech and Slovak companies registered in tax havens. It will use a follow-the-money approach to track their dividends and subsequent investments. The project is a collaboration between two media in the two respective states. Deník Referendum (DR) is a Czech online daily with a strong focus on social and environmental issues and investigative reporting. Investigatívne centrum Jána Kuciaka (ICJK), a member of the OCCRP, investigates corruption, money laundering, arms and narcotics dealing, and other aspects of organised crime. The team is comprised of Lukáš Diko who is the editor-in-chief of ICJK, Gaby Khazalová, a reporter and editor at DR who received the European Press Prize Innovation Award 2022, Lucie Čejková, a reporter and former climate journalist at DR, and Daniel Kotecký who is an analyst of the investigative team at DR."

“Polish and Lithuanian governmental officials and border guards spreading disinformation about human rights activists providing humanitarian aid to migrants at the Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian border.” 

Two freelance journalists - one Lithuanian and one Polish - joined the effort to investigate obstacles that were faced by countries' activists providing humanitarian help to migrants stuck at the EU border with Belarus. The particular focus is on disinformation campaigns that the volunteers have to constantly counter. At the end of the project the story will be published in leading media channels in both countries - Gazeta Wyborcza and NARA.    

“Extremist and conspiratorial: the hidden network of far-right ideologies and the world of contemporary spirituality in Europe”

As today we can sense the presence of a dangerous rapprochement between conspiracy, contemporary spirituality, and extremist ideologies, the collaborative investigation would delve into the world of ‘conspirituality’ to frame the propagation of ideologies linked to extreme far-right groups. Focusing on Italy and the Czech Republic, the project unveils the hidden cross-border network and dynamics fueling - and benefitting from - mass disinformation in Europe, from understanding the role of spiritual influencers to gathering insights from academic experts. The investigation will be conducted by Sofia Cherici, a freelance multimedia journalist and investigative reporter from Italy, and Jan Žabka, an investigative journalist from Czech Republic. They will coordinate with various European media partners and publications, including Irpi Media, Transitions, and HlídacíPes.org. 

“Fish Chain Tracking”

The investigation aims to reveal the social and economic dynamics behind illegal fishing in Greece and Italy, where a mix of unlawful fishing techniques and violation of protected areas are threatening the sustainability of Mediterranean ecosystems, while traditional fishermen struggle to stay in the business. 

“In the hands of the church” 

This investigation aims to explore the role of the Pentecostal churches in human trafficking of Nigerian women in Italy, Spain and Greece. Pentecostal churches are playing a singular and pervasive role in the African communities in Europe: they support their newly arrived members’ search for housing, jobs, and residency permits. In church people socialise, pray, eat, and spend their free time together. In some cases, these places can also become a hub for illegal trafficking. The investigation will be conducted by Alice Facchini, journalist based in Bologna (Italy) and specialised in social issues and human rights, Kostas Koukoumakas, journalist based in Athens (Greece) covering politics and organised crime, and Elena Ledda, journalist based in Barcelona (Spain), specialised in gender issues and women's rights. The story will be published on IRPI media, News247 and El Pais. 

“Two systems, one EU: the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Hungary and Italy”

This project aims to investigate the Hungarian and Italian approaches to the reception of refugees, starting from Ukrainians, to then encompass all nationalities. The team wants to shed light on the critical issues of these countries’ general reception regulations, the differences and similarities between them and the systemic weakness of the European Union on this matter. The project will make use of an innovative method that mixes data journalism techniques with field research, in order to create a data-driven journalistic investigation. Fondazione Openpolis will work mainly on the data side, thanks to its consolidated team of data analysts, scientists and journalists, who have been dealing with migration issues for years. On the other hand, the freelance contributors have a consolidated experience with field investigations and with Hungarian politics and its dynamics.

“EU Green Fuel Fueling Deforestation”
The team, consisting of freelance journalist Stefano Valentino and Voxeurop staff editor Gianpaolo Accardo, will track the supply chain of palm oil from deforestation areas in Indonesia to gas stations in Europe where "fake" green fuel is sold to car drivers. 

“I love you” 

I LOVE YOU is an investigation analysing probably the most controversial form of fraud - „romance“ scamming. Scammers use fake accounts and stolen data, create  „characters“ and go the extra mile to build romantic relationships with a survivor. Even though survivors usually lose a great amount of money in the end and their lives are broken, most cases are discontinued in both Lithuania and Slovakia. The team of three journalists - Lenka Hanikova, Mantas Jusis and Irma Bogdanovičiūtė - unravel the mystery around the most common schemes of the „romance“ scam and the reasons for the justice system failing to safeguard the survivors.

“Cheap Ukrainians”
Two journalists from brotherly countries unite their skills in the fight against human exploitation and illegal workers trade. Miglė Kranceviciute from Lithuania and Yanina Korniienko from Ukraine will investigate and showcase how one organisation with purpose to gain financial benefit for itself, tricks Ukrainian refugees into illegal work schemes with less pay and longer work hours, sometimes making people live in poor conditions with no social care. Investigation includes Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland and Germany where reporters know for sure, people are being deceived. Two reporters strongly believe that their investigation should make both local and global changes - lawsuits for unfair business and change of regulations, that in the past, as reporters saw, have been successfully bypassed. 

Note for editors:

The calls for applications ran between May - June 2022 and were open to journalists residing or publishing for media targeting audiences in the Baltic countries, Visegrád Four and Southern Europe, as well as journalists from Ukraine, Belarus or Russia who are currently legally residing in the EU and and had to leave their own countries as a result of the war in Ukraine and/or related to it imposed media censorship in Belarus and Russia. 

Story pitches were accepted within the following thematic areas: Human rights and migration; Disinformation; Environmental crime; Corruption and money laundering. 

The criteria used to select the projects include editorial quality, story relevance, reach and impact, project feasibility and applicants’ experience, while ensuring country representation and theme balance.

 
For any questions, please contact Diana Lungu (lungu-at-freepressunlimited.org). For project background, visit ciji.eu

[Closed] Small Production Grants for Cross-Border Stories - accepting applications until 15 June 2022 

Journalists residing in the Baltic countries, Visegrád Four and Southern Europe are invited to apply for small production grants for cross-border stories as part of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative. We expect to award up to five grants, each worth up to 5000 EUR. We particularly welcome applications from journalists from Ukraine, Belarus or Russia who are currently legally residing in the EU and and had to leave their own countries as a result of the war in Ukraine and/or related to it imposed media censorship in Belarus and Russia. 

Who is eligible to apply? 

Staff or freelance journalists from or residing in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Spain. Ukrainian, Belarusian or Russian journalists working in the above mentioned countries.  

Which stories will be selected? 

• The proposed story should be of relevance to at least two EU member states, at least one of which is a target country for this project (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy or Spain). Alternatively, it may be relevant to one of the target EU countries and Ukraine, Belarus or Russia.  
• The proposed story should be published by at least one media outlet directly targeting audiences in one of the ten target countries of the project. 
• Members of the team working on the story should be at least from two EU member states, at least one of which is a target country of the project. 
• Media organisations that are state owned and/or editorially controlled by state authorities are not eligible for funding. 

How to apply & next steps

• You should fill in the application form by June 15, 2022, 23:59 CEST (application link closed / expired call). Please use this budget template to submit a project budget (link expired / expired call.) Only applications received through this online form will be considered. All applications need to be submitted in English. The applications will not be judged based on the level of the English language, but on the quality of the  proposed content.  
• On June 17 (10:00-12:00 TBC) shortlisted applicants will be invited to the online pitching session where experienced journalists will hear your story pitches, ask you important questions and after that will select the winners of the small grants competition (by June 24). 
• Your presentation at the pitching session should follow the structure of your application form. You will have approximately 5 minutes. 
• Winning teams will be paired with a mentor who will provide you with individual guidance in the course of your project. Mentors will come from CIJI’s regional media hubs: OBC Transeuropa (Southern Europe), Fundacja Reporterow (V4), The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica (Baltic states). You will have several check-ins with the mentors where you have the chance to address your questions and concerns: at the beginning of the project, mid-way and at the end. We will facilitate these connections.

You can join Q&A session on June 10, 10:00-11:00 CET following the link (link closed / expired call.)

[Closed] Advanced Collaborative Journalism Course (2 editions / 2022)

First Edition: 22 April - 29 April 2022 (online and in Prague, Czech Republic)

Second Edition: 9 May - 18 May 2022 (online and in Prague, Czech Republic) 

The world of disinformation and distrust to public institutions we all live in is more than ever in need of journalists ready to investigate controversial topics. International teams of dedicated journalists have made in recent years big breakthroughs in uncovering corruption, crime, human rights violations and bringing these to the front pages of the world media. 

This free hybrid interactive course in English will offer lectures and practical exercises geared at teaching the necessary skills to organise and coordinate an international team of journalists, to safely and securely collaborate on cross-border stories and to carry out impactful investigations. 

What does the course cover?

• Collaborative Journalism: network building, workflow and editorial planning.
• Investigative Journalism: data safety and security, OSINT, collaboration with international investigative networks.
• Coordinated Disinformation and Propaganda, SLAPP and Smear Campaigns against Journalists.
• Physical Security, Surveillance and Contra-Surveillance. 

The course will consist of 2 interactive webinars, a 3-day on-site programme and an online collaborative story pitching session. Participants attending the course will have the chance to apply for production funding for up to 5000 EUR as well as benefit from mentoring from award-winning journalists in the region. 

The course will be delivered by experienced journalists and trainers, coming from leading journalism and training organisations such as The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re: Baltica, OCCRP, OBC Transeuropa and others.  

Small production Grants for cross-border stories and Mentoring 

Following completion of the course, participants are expected to apply for small production grants for cross-border stories that cover one of the following topics:

• Corruption and money laundering
• Disinformation 
• Environmental crime
• Human Rights and Migration

Successful teams will receive mentoring support from award winning journalists from Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. More detailed guidelines around the application and selection process and criteria will be provided to the journalists selected to attend the course.  

When?

First Edition: 22 - 29 April 2022

Second Edition: 9 - 18 May, 2022

Where? 

First Edition

22 April and 25 April - online (2 x 1,5 hours webinars)

27 - 29 April - offline course in Prague, Czech Republic 

Second Edition

9 May and 12 May - online (2 x 1,5 hours webinars)

16 - 18 May - offline course in Prague, Czech Republic

Who can apply? 

Journalists working for media targeting audiences in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy and Spain. The course is designed for staff and freelance journalists who are interested in learning about collaborative and investigative journalism techniques.   

How to apply?

To participate in the selection process you will need to fill in a questionnaire (questionnaire closed / expired call). Please make sure to indicate for which course you are available. Please note you need to be available for the entire duration of the course, including participation in the small production grants for cross-border stories. 

What is the deadline? 

15 April 2022; 20:00 CEST 

Please note that the selection will take place on a rolling basis, we thus encourage early applications.

Costs

Participation is free and the organisers will cover economy travel, accommodation and meals for the duration of the 3-day onsite programme.

First Networking Meeting

How journalists can achieve better impact through regional collaborations

by Diana Lungu, Free Press Unlimited / February 2022

Journalists around the world are increasingly facing hostile environments to get their work done. Online harassment, violence, legal threats, smear campaigns, lack of public trust and cyber threats are some of the most pressing challenges faced by journalists globally. In Europe too this trend is on the rise. Hungary and Poland are losing serious ground in the press freedom index. And while there is no easy fix to improving this gloomy reality, the journalists themselves find strength in the power of collaboration.

 The deterioration of independent journalism prompted the need for more collaboration in journalism than ever before. The era of competition is a bygone one. Journalists need to find allies in each other and also across sectors, engaging NGOs, academics and other professions that can extend specific expertise and skills to improve the quality, reach and impact of journalism. Trust among the journalistic community and also the public is crucial in order to give journalism the credibility it needs to bring about social change.

These were some of the discussions that prevailed at the first face to face meeting of the members of the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) who came together in Trento on 18 February 2022 to share ideas of how a regional network could aid journalists to make a stronger impact with their work.  

“The way the synergies appeared at the meeting, be it through coming up with ideas of investigative stories, or sharing resources on monetisation, have proved once again that the real networks are built when people can meet informally. I believe that these professional-to-professional contacts will help bring all the journalists from CIJI even closer.” - said Maryia Sadouskaya-Komlach, Senior Team Lead Europe and Central Asia at Free Press Unlimited. 

“A regional perspective is underrated but very important. This way we are more powerful and much stronger.” - mentioned Anna Gielewska, Vice-Chairwoman and Head of Partnerships and Investigations at Fundacja Reporterów. Anna’s organisation has already been building regional collaborations through the Vsquare platform by bringing together cross-border journalism from the Visegrád 4 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia). To further support journalists in the V4 region, Fundacja Reporterów is also engaged as a CIJI regional media hub for the V4 space. Alongside Fundacja Reporterów are The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica, which acts as a regional media hub for the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and OBC Transeuropa taking on the role as a media hub for Southern Europe covering Greece, Italy and Spain. 

 These organisations did not only bring to the discussions extensive journalistic experience, solid knowledge of media reality on the ground or diverse voices from their vast journalism networks, first and foremost they brought a mindset to share. Thinking jointly around issues such as: 

 What does it take to support collaborative and investigative journalism at the local level and in Europe? Who needs support most stringently? What is unique that we can share with others? How can we build more trust with our public and communicate the value of investigative journalism?

Good quality investigative journalism

“While the Baltics are doing quite well in terms of press freedom, there is a great need for increasing the skills of journalists to be able to produce in-depth quality investigative reporting. The public demands good journalism and media who once relied on click bait content are now understanding the need for serious reporting, but they need support to train their journalists.” - mentioned Inga Spriņģe from The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica.  

“There is the same need in Southern Europe, where safety, support and skills are three areas that need interventions the most.” said Federico Caruso, CIJI Project Manager at OBC Transeuropa. He added that as far as skills and training are concerned, both basic and advanced offers are needed around collaborative and investigative journalism.

“At the same time, the journalism ecosystem can no longer only be composed of journalists. We need a combination of skills in newsrooms, i.e. data expertise, to ensure we are capable of analysis of massive databases. Having such expertise on staff is extremely important, while also supporting the rest of the team with basic training.” - said Martina Zaghi from Openpolis. 

To really uncover the entire spectrum of society, participants agreed on the need to engage local journalists and also support them with skills training, resources and connections.

“On an editorial level, we also need to raise awareness of what quality investigative journalism means. We need to inspire by showing good products and also outcomes and impact.” - emphasized Inga Spriņģe from Re:Baltica. “We need our journalism to become like a cross-promotion engine that supports regional syndication and republishing, so that we can amplify our voices and have a bigger impact with our stories” - concluded Anna Gielewska from Fundacja Reporterów.

Trust

To support trustworthy journalism, CIJI offers an underlying component called the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) run by Reporters Without Borders. Built on a set of criteria for trustworthiness, JTI is a transparency and accountability tool for journalism. It allows for media outlets of all sizes to self-evaluate their compliance, to publish their Transparency Reports, and to get independently audited and certified if they so choose to. “This also allows citizens to use the Journalism Trust Initiative to make an informed decision around their news consumption.” - mentioned Lea Auffarth, who coordinates this initiative at Reporters Without Borders. Lea Auffarth also added that currently under development is a new JTI component called the JTI campus which will extend to individual journalists, not only media outlets. This will create a community of media outlets and individual journalists that know each other and can trust each other. The product will be first rolled out to members of CIJI in the coming months.  

Online harassment

“What we don’t need is another handbook on how to deal with legal challenges. It already exists.” - said Sanita Jemberga, Executive Director at the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism. “What we do need are blueprints from colleagues in similar situations. For example, online harassment is rather new for law enforcement but it became endemic during the pandemic. So, how do you help law enforcement officers to help journalists when dealing with online harassment? We want to see those case studies.” - continued Sanita Jemberga.   

“We can contribute to extending and enriching existing databases of organisations that offer legal support to journalists, including identifying lawyers with country based expertise and lawyers networks that support journalists. On top of that, we can think about a legal support fund for journalists.” - added Chiara Sighele, Projects Director at OBC Transeuropa. 

“In cases of online harassment, journalists need to be able to rely on a community that has a set of standards with interventions. This can be as simple as having access to a checklist of actions or knowing how to engage other organisations to stand with you.” - added Veronika Divišová from the Czech investigation.cz. 

“Online harassment has an impact offline. We often treat online threats as if they were disconnected from what happens offline, but it is the same thing. What can you do? Get behind a network, don’t face it alone and know what interventions you can do.” - said Laura Ranca, Project Lead Exposing the Invisible at Tactical Tech.

“Additionally, we need to train ourselves on how to investigate and expose the infrastructure of online harassment most effectively. It demands specific skills and we need to discuss this, understand and address our limitations” - concluded Anna Gielewska.

Mental health

“Psychological help is really important for investigative journalists, as it can take a huge toll on journalists’ mental health. Journalists are not rich members of society and often don’t have access to expensive therapy. This is a real problem in Slovakia. We are now working on how to change that and how we could support journalists to access this much needed therapy and to cover those costs.” - said investigative journalist Tomáš Madleňák of the Investigative Center of Jan Kuciak (ICJK) from Slovakia.

Fact checking

“In Poland we don’t have a fact checking tradition. The media still need to embrace fact checking. This means we need to catch up and offer this type of training to many traditional media in order to share the idea and the necessary skills.” - said Urszula Kiefer, editor of frontstory.pl, a new initiative of Fundacja Reporterów. 

“A good way to fact check your story is to run it by your lawyer. A lawyer can be your ally before your story goes public.” - added Tomáš Madleňák.

Opportunities  

So what does the Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative offer for the ten countries in the Baltics, Southern Europe and Visegrád 4? These opportunities are currently open or upcoming:

• Journalism Trust Initiative - ongoing
• Training of Trainers - Call launched! (DL 15 March 2022).
• Two courses on Advanced Collaborative Journalism - coming up (April - June)
• Two rounds of Reporting Grants for Cross-Border Journalism (May - July)
• Networking meeting bringing together regional media hubs, media organisations and journalists from the Baltics, Southern Europe and Visegrád 4 (June).
• Webinars, audio-visual resources and translation of materials into local languages - upcoming (April - August) 

 Useful links:

• Ciji.eu
• Fundacja Reporterów
• https://vsquare.org/ 
• https://en.rebaltica.lv/
• https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng 
• Exposing the Invisible 
• Journalism Trust Initiative

Announcements of regional media hubs, 2021

CIJI awards 75,000 EUR to three regional media hubs to support ‘Collaborative and Investigative Journalism in Europe’

Amsterdam/Berlin/Paris, 6 December 2021

OBC Transeuropa from Italy, the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica from Latvia, and Fundacja Reporterow (FR) from Poland have been awarded a combined total of 75.000 EUR to enhance collaborative and investigative journalism in the Baltic States, Visegrád Four and Southern Europe.

The grants are part of the “Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative” (CIJI), which aims to equip independent media outlets and individual journalists with resources, innovative networking infrastructure and standards-based methods that enable them to practice high-quality, ethical and accountable collaborative and investigative journalism.

Run in partnership by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and Tactical Tech (TT), CIJI will offer a collaborative environment across borders and serve as a single access point to a variety of tools and resources.

“We believe in the power of collaboration and strong networks in journalism. With these grants we recognise media innovators which can inspire and empower a new culture of collaborative and investigative journalism in the region. This does not only benefit the journalism community, but the public at large, as accountable journalism is essential to drive positive change in society.”, said Leon Willems, FPU Director Policy and Programmes.

“Trust of audiences is the reward of ethical journalism, but it is also a condition to work together in the first place. This is especially the case for investigative projects and across borders. For that reason we have put a values-based approach at the heart of the CIJI.”, said Christophe Deloire, RSF’s Director General. ”Through our Journalism Trust Initiative we can provide a framework for media outlets and for individual journalists to commit to shared professional norms, to collaborate on these grounds and to make that visible.”

"Collaboration is what drives positive change. Collaboration between investigative journalists, researchers, citizens is essential and exchanges of best practices, tools and methods are fundamental. This is what CIJI is about.", mentioned Christy Lange, Programme Director, Tactical Tech.

An independent jury, consisting of renowned media professionals and academics, chose the winning organisations, based on their track record in regional collaborative and/or investigative journalism training, capacity building as well as their potential to engage a vast array of media actors on a regional level.

These are the grant recipients:

OBC Transeuropa will act as regional media hub for Southern Europe (Greece, Italy and Spain)

OBC Transeuropa (OBCT) is a think-tank based in Trento, Italy. By running the news site balcanicaucaso.org, it has a strong focus on South-East Europe but also covers European issues more in general. Its core mission is to strengthen the transnational public sphere in Europe, by letting unheard stories emerge, favouring cross-border journalism, and defending media freedom. Its target audience is a transnational community of actors primarily based in the Adriatic-Ionian region. It offers content in Italian, English and BCHS, drawing an average of 210,000 monthly page views.

“We believe it is critical to empower independent organisations which produce quality journalism in Southern Europe, and to improve the media ecosystem in the region. This award will enable us to contribute further to the emergence of a European public sphere – transnational collaborations can be just so effective for journalism.", said Luisa Chiodi, OBCT’s Director.

The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica will act as CIJI regional media hub for the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica is a non-profit organisation that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Founded in August 2011, it focuses on socially important issues in the Baltic region, such as corruption, domestic violence, social inequality, human rights, transparency and disinformation. Re:Baltica is based in Riga, but work all over Baltics and beyond. It publishes in Latvian, English and Russian.

"We are known as a team which regularly trains and brings together various Baltic media outlets into joint investigations of regional importance, be it China's influence attempts, building of large EU infrastructure objects or disinformation patterns. This grant will allow more local media have experience of joint investigations and hopefully form lasting ties.", said Sanita Jemberga, Executive Director and Editor of Re:Baltica.

Fundacja Reporterow (FR) will act as regional media hub for Visegrád Four (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia)

Fundacja Reporterow is a Warsaw-based nonprofit journalistic organisation focused on independent, investigative, cross-border journalism in Poland and Central Europe. The organisation’s mission is the development of investigative journalism and publishing of high-quality stories in the public interest. Fundacja runs vsquare.org, a regional platform providing cross-border stories from the Visegrád region.

“We believe that a joint effort of journalists from different media organisations and countries of the region can better serve our societies. The award will help FR and its V4 partners to strengthen collaboration between journalists from the Visegrád region”, said Anna Gielewska, FR’s vice-chairman and Vsquare’s Head of investigations and partnerships.

The three media hubs will act as an informal “network of networks” and will support ethical, collaborative and investigative journalism by promoting and implementing a common set of ethical codes, professional principles and guidelines in line with the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI).

Along with funds, the winning organisations will benefit from training, resource sharing and exchange of best practices, collaborations, access to innovative methods and techniques - all following established journalism standards. The hubs’ networks will have access to an accelerator for start-ups, including the availability of seed financing and micro grants to explore innovative ideas in the field.

The call for applications to select regional media hubs ran between 1-15 November 2021.

(Closed) Call for applications to select regional collaborative and investigative media hubs in Europe, 2021

Amsterdam, 1 November 2021

Free Press Unlimited (FPU), jointly with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Tactical Tech (TT), is launching an open call for applications for selection of three regional media hubs in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the Visegrád Four (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), and Southern Europe (Greece, Italy and Spain), as part of a broader initiative aimed at enabling and enhancing independent collaborative and investigative journalism across Europe.

The call is open to media organisations that have a proven track record and an established media network in the field of collaborative and investigative journalism in their respective regions (Baltic States, Visegrád Four, Southern Europe). The programme’s guiding principle is regional engagement and empowering existing regional initiatives as opposed to creating new ones.

Selected institutions will benefit from financial support, training, resource sharing and exchange of best practices, collaborations, access to innovative methods and techniques - all following established journalism standards.