➡️ Find the full ranking list here

Creative Applications and a Challenging Evaluation Process

The Lithuanian call attracted 31 applications from across the country – from Žemaitija to Visaginas.
Many stood out not only for their professionalism but also for their creativity in engaging audiences and fostering collaboration between different media formats.

“We were genuinely impressed by the quality and creativity of the applications,” says Neringa Jurčiukonytė, Director of Media4Change.

“We can clearly see how regional journalism in Lithuania is growing – it’s bold, exploring new business models, striving for sustainable solutions, and strengthening its ability to remain independent.
This is the true resilience of journalism – the ability to adapt, to learn, and to stay relevant to its audiences.”

According to her, the evaluation committee faced a particularly difficult task – selecting only a few projects from many worthy proposals.

“We couldn’t fund every idea, but many received strong support from the jury. We’ll seek ways to stay connected with these teams – through mentoring, sharing network expertise, or helping them find new partners.

The results inspire us to continue this work and to announce new calls in the future,” adds Jurčiukonytė.

What Comes Next?

The first seven applicants with the highest scores are being invited to sign grant agreements.
Before signing, each project will go through a round of consultations based on recommendations from the international jury – to ensure that every project is sustainable, well-developed, and has a real impact on its audiences.

Among the selected grantees are two national media outlets that embody features of community journalism and are partnering with regional newsrooms to develop new models of collaboration, strengthen local voices, and share editorial and creative expertise.

This once again demonstrates that the strengthening of local journalism grows out of equal dialogue and genuine cooperation.

Stronger Together

LIMENet brings together journalists, newsrooms, and media innovators from six European countries – Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, and Georgia.

The shared vision of these initiatives is to build stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive local media – capable of working together, sharing knowledge, and rediscovering meaningful connections with their audiences.

The selected Lithuanian projects will take part in a mentorship programme, guided by experienced mentors from around the world who will help them achieve their strategic goals and grow together with their communities.

Media4Change is particularly excited to see that many of the innovations only now being introduced in Lithuania have already been tested in other countries – making it possible to learn faster, more creatively, and, most importantly, to learn from our own experiences rather than from others’ mistakes.

Join the Media4Change Community

Be part of a space where meaningful journalism finds its people.
The Media4Change community, together with LIMENet partners across Europe, connects local newsrooms, creators, experts, and audiences to strengthen trust, resilience, and innovation in journalism.

Here, people come together who care about journalism that makes a difference – journalism that resonates with the needs and aspirations of its audiences.

👉 Join our platform at app.media4change.co and discover a network of peers, mentoring opportunities, and initiatives that help journalism grow together with its communities.