Call for Proposals: Support of CSOs for Media and Information Literacy (Macedonia)

Deadline: 21-Feb-24

The Macedonian Media Institute announces a call for submission of project proposals aimed at improving the capacities of civil society organizations in urban and rural areas to promote media activism and deal with misinformation and polarization.

This call is part of the regional project “Our media”, which is implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, with the support of the European Union.

Purposes

General Purpose: Encourage engagement and support civil society capacity building on media activism in urban and rural areas, as well as countering misinformation and polarization.

Objectives

Involvement of civil society organizations from the region of the Western Balkans in order for them to actively contribute to the creation of media and information literacy practices in urban and rural areas;
Mobilization of civil society organizations from the region of the Western Balkans to participate in the education of citizens about the essential role of free media, about ethical standards in journalism, about the threats posed by polarization and misinformation for stability in the region;
Support to civil society organizations in providing knowledge, platforms and tools so that citizens can actively exercise their rights to ensure the existence of reliable and responsible media;
Support to civil society organizations for the promotion of gender representation and underrepresented groups in media reporting;
Enabling the participation of local civil society organizations in regional networks that will lead to the exchange of knowledge and experiences, as well as the multiplication of successful practices of media activism;
Support of transfer of knowledge on project design, implementation and management of grants between civil society organizations operating in regional centers/capital cities and civil society organizations based in rural areas that have the potential for local influence, but operate with underdeveloped capacities.

Funding Information

The total budget for this call is 46,500 euros.
The requested grant should be in the amount between at least 7,000 and the most 15,500 euros.

Duration

The duration of the proposed project should be from 9 to 18 months.

Expected Results

An increasing number of solutions for media and information literacy that have been initiated by civil society and made available to citizens;
Citizens in urban and rural areas better understand the role of the media, the professional standards in journalism, the ethical standards that media reporting should meet in order for it to be considered sustained;
Citizens understand the threat of polarization and act against its presence in the media;
Citizens seek high-quality media content, content free from misinformation, learn and use available mechanisms at the local/national level to express their needs and expectations from the media, actively contribute to the creation of a professional media environment;
capacities for designing, managing and promoting media activism and media and information literacy projects;
Supported and strengthened rural civil society organizations through cooperation projects with more experienced organizations.

Activities

Educational activities : Workshops, trainings, camps, hackathons aimed at encouraging specific civic actions related to a wide range of media and information literacy topics , including but not limited to professional media standards, ethical standards in journalism, social media and content moderation , hate speech and propaganda, disinformation, polarization, mechanisms by which citizens can influence the quality of media reporting and/or mechanism and for encouraging change in local communities.
Communication activities, such as the preparation and distribution of media and content and, mailings, campaigns, gender equality and minority media reporting. Media content should focus on promoting learning about the media and knowledge about the role of professional and independent media, professional standards for media reporting, the importance of ethical media reporting, regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms and ways in which citizens can influence their media environment by using the same etc.
Development of available resources for media and information literacy (publications, guidelines, textbooks, didactic tools) based on the most advanced practices at the regional and global level, such as and at the EU level.
Public events such as public debates, expert panel discussions, gatherings between citizens and journalists for the exchange of knowledge and opinions and discussions between relevant stakeholders on current developments regarding media freedom, media and information literacy, safety of journalists, representation of women in the media, the representation of minorities and marginalized groups, etc. The above can be implemented at the local, national and regional level.
And guarding at the local level in relation to a better understanding of media use, key sources of polarization, understanding the media literacy levels of the rural population, the state of men and women in the local media, etc. The research must be justified, related to the project activities and must not be a dominant part of the project.
Well-informed advocacy actions that encourage citizens to exercise their right to demand professional and reliable media and equal representation: letters sent to media editors, to civil society organizations , to policy and decision makers, representatives of the international community, networks of civil society organizations, local civil society organizations, to the media ; organized visits to public institutions, media, regulatory and self-regulatory bodies with a focus on certain issues indicated by civil society and citizens , street actions, art exhibitions, media campaigns, recommendations for development and promotional policies.

Eligibility Criteria

The call is open to civil society organizations in S. Macedonia.
The call is open to both individual applicants and proposals for partner projects of developed civic organizations based in urban areas (in larger centers and capitals) and of local ” grassroots ” organizations that what operate in smaller communities and in rural areas. Preference will be given to partnerships.
Eligibility criteria for applicant and co -applicant:
- Applicant
  - The civil organization is a legal entity established and registered in S. Macedonia according to its laws and regulations.
  - The civil organization acts in the fields of media, freedom of expression or digital technologies, as well as in the field of education, human rights or gender equality, which is proven by the registration decision.
  - The civil organization has been active for at least one year (i.e. at least 12 months before the publication date of this call for proposals).
- Co-applicant
  - The civil organization is a legal entity established and registered in S. Macedonia according to its laws and regulations.
- Note regarding project partnership:
  - The call will be open to both individual applicants and proposals for partnership projects of developed civil society organizations based in urban areas (in larger centers and capital cities) and of local “grassroots” organizations operating in smaller communities and in rural areas. Preference will be given to partnerships.
  - Partnerships concluded between organizations from different countries will not be considered in this call.
  - An individual civil organization can register as an applicant only once, and can act as a co-applicant in other projects of this call.