Being part of the audience of media and the one who actively shapes their content is possible already now. When the media are facing decreasing trust and misinformation is on the rise, newsrooms are opening and engaging with the public. The question is, how to spread this praxis and motivate others to employ it.

If you have any interesting ideas on how to change the media environment around you for the better, you have a once-in-a-life  opportunity to become a source of inspiration and member of a leadership team that will move the media forward. You will take part in a participatory and creative learning process that will help set the key elements of the upcoming project and turn your ideas into reality.

Do not hesitate to apply now and participate in a strategic planning workshop “Mediastorm” in which, together with international experts and like-minded people, you will create a work plan for a series of international and local events focusing on engaged journalism/media in 5 countries.

Only 8 people from each country (where the partners are based) will have this unique opportunity! Outstanding professionals from fields of journalism, media making, communication, and active citizenship will review the applications to choose those who demonstrate the greatest motivation and potential  for the positive change that our divided world needs and make media more open.

The Workshop will be divided into 5 different groups.  See the categories below and decide which one fits your skills, talents, and expectations the most:

1. Building trust with an audience/citizens
2. Event planning & capacity building activities.
3. Internal & external communication
4. Putting engaged journalism into the practice
5. Study “Engaged journalism: best practices, features

You can find a description of each of the groups here.

The deadline to apply is the 19 th of September.

If you are:

• An academic whose academic interest is media and audience relations, has published scientific articles, made surveys and research on media and audience relations and wants to share the results and  knowledge to broader audiences to ensure it can be used for a positive change;
• An expert in design thinking or creating new IT tools, media innovations, apps. You will have a great opportunity to test innovations and make them alive or even reinvent.
• A professional journalist, media maker, or content creator who have ideas or are searching for the answers how to connect with the audience. They will have a great opportunity to boost their career and portfolio by building the international contacts.
• A student of journalism or other media-related subjects who hasn’t yet had the opportunity to demonstrate your talents and creativity for the rest of the world and wants to gain experience in creating responsible and engaged journalism. 
• A communication specialist, advertisers or other creatives who has a motivation to strengthen journalism all around the world by helping media professionals to connect to their audiences making full use of a wide range of media including print, broadcast, online, and social media activity. There you can be the inspiration for the positive change that our divided world needs;
• A campaigner who craves to contribute to a positive change and to try something new as well as be part of something bigger by developing imaginative and effective campaign strategies;
• An activist who is interested in advocating for community involvement in to the decision making processes;
• An experienced trainer or facilitator, who has experience in working with big international groups and has an ability to lead them from strategic planning to the implementation and tangible results.

More about the project:

 The aim of the “Media for Citizens Story Lab”  is to establish and sustain a network facilitating citizen and engaged journalism in Europe. Nowadays, modern journalism, especially the news sector, is facing unprecedented challenges. It’s confronted with misinformation, content distortions, and disparagement by politicians, especially populists. As a result, public trust in journalism is decreasing. However, there are good examples of newspapers, media, and other organisations that invest in building good relationships with an audience. You can also become the one who leads by example. 

The journey to the achievement of this goal will take place in different countries of Europe: Lithuania, Slovakia, Belgium, France, Montenegro, and Austria. Be ready to travel and gain unique experiences that you will never forget. 

Project Partners:

• Media4Change, Lithuania
• European Dialogue, Slovakia
• ICNM, Austria
• StampMedia, Belgium
• Cafébabel, France
• Mladiinfo Montenegro.

Details:

• Dates: 29 September – 2 October, 2022.
• Place: Antaliepte, Lithuania
• Number of Participants: 51 (8 participants from each project partner)
• Costs: We provide you with accommodation, meals and reimburse the travel expenses, but be aware that the contribution to travels has certain limits.

To apply please choose only one of the groups that you prefer to be a part of, and complete a specific application form by the 19th of September, 2022.

The call is addressed to all EU countries, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, but please note that priority will be given to participants from Lithuania, Slovakia, France, Austria, Montenegro, and Belgium.

If you have any questions or inquiries, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing [email protected]

This invitation  is a part of the project “Media for Citizens Story Lab” funded by the “Europe for Citizens” programme.