Deadline: 19-Feb-24
The Media Institute announces a call for project proposals aimed at increasing the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) in urban and rural areas to promote media activism and combat misinformation and polarization.
This call for project proposals is part of the regional project “Our Media”, which is supported by the European Union and is implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration in Montenegro.
General Goal
- To encourage engagement and support capacity building of CSOs in urban and rural areas in media activism, countering misinformation and polarization.
Objectives
- Encourage CSOs in the ZB region to actively contribute to the creation of MIP practices in urban and rural areas
- Mobilize CSOs in the ZB to participate in the education of citizens about the instrumental role of free media, ethical standards in journalism, threats that polarization and misinformation represent to stability in the region
- Support CSOs in providing knowledge, platforms and tools for citizens to actively exercise their rights to confidential and responsible media
- Support CSOs in promoting gender representation and underrepresented groups in media reporting
- Enable the participation of local CSOs in regional networks that lead to the exchange of knowledge and experience, the multiplication of successful practices of media activism
- Facilitate the transfer of knowledge on project design, implementation and grant management between established CSOs working in regional centers/capital cities and rural CSOs with potential for local impact, but less developed capacities.
Funding Information
- The total amount available under this Call for Project Proposals is 46,500 euros.
- The value of the individual grant must be between min. 7,000 and a maximum of 15,500 euros.
Duration
- The duration of the project must be between 9 and 18 months.
Expected Results
- Increased number of MFA initiatives available to citizens, initiated by civil society.
- Citizens in urban and rural areas better understand the role of the media, professional standards in journalism, ethical standards that media reporting should meet in order to be considered reliable
- Citizens understand threats and act against polarization in the media
- Citizens demand high-quality media content, content without misinformation, learn and use available mechanisms at the local/national level to express their needs and expectations from the media, actively contribute to the shaping of a professional media environment
- CSOs develop capacities for designing, managing and promoting media activism and MFA projects
- Organizations from rural areas have strengthened themselves through cooperation projects with more experienced organizations.
Activities
- Educational activities: Workshops, trainings, camps, hackathons, designed to lead to concrete actions of citizens dealing with topics from a wide range of MIP including, but not limited to professional media standards, ethical standards in journalism, social networks and content moderation, speech hatred and propaganda, misinformation, polarization, mechanisms of citizens’ influence on the quality of media coverage, mechanisms of change in local communities.
- Communication activities, such as production and distribution of media content, podcasts, campaigns, gender equality and media reporting on minorities. The focus of media content should be on promoting media education and knowledge about the role of professional and independent media, standards of professional media reporting, the importance of ethical media reporting, regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms and ways in which citizens can influence their media environment using them, etc.
- Development of accessible MFA resources (publications, guidelines, glossaries, didactic tools) based on the most advanced practices at the regional, EU and global level.
- Public events such as public debates, expert panel discussions, gatherings of citizens and journalists with the aim of exchanging knowledge and opinions and discussions between relevant actors on current events of importance for media freedom, MFA, safety of journalists, representation of women in the media, representation of minorities and marginalized groups, etc. at the local, national and regional level.
- Research on a smaller scale at the local level, related to a better understanding of media use, key sources of polarization, understanding the level of media literacy of the rural population, the position of men and women in local media, etc. Research must be justified, related to project activities and must not be a predominant 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 to media editors, CSOs, policy and decision makers, representatives of the international community, networks of civil society organizations, local CSOs, media; organized visits to public institutions, media, regulatory and self-regulatory bodies with a focus on certain issues recognized by civil society and citizens, street actions, art exhibitions, media campaigns, recommendations of development and promotional policy.
Eligibility Criteria
- The invitation is open to CSOs in Montenegro.
- The call is open to both individual applicants and partnerships formed between developed CSOs based in urban areas (larger centers and capital cities) and local communities operating in smaller communities and rural areas. Preference will be given to partnerships.
- Eligibility criteria for applicants and co-applicants are as follows:
- Applicant
- CSO is a legal entity established and registered in Montenegro according to the national law.
- CSO operates primarily in the field of media, freedom of expression or digital technologies, as well as education, human rights or gender equality, as evidenced by the organization’s founding act and statute;
- The CSO has been actively working for at least one year (ie at least 12 months prior to the publication date of this call for project proposals).
- Co-applicant
- CSO is a legal entity established and registered in Montenegro according to national law.
- Note on project partnership
- The call will be open both to individual applicants and to partnerships formed between developed CSOs based in urban areas (larger centers and capitals) and local communities operating in smaller communities and rural areas. Preference will be given to partnership.
- Interstate partnerships are not the subject of this call for project proposals.
- An individual civil society organization can apply as an applicant only once and can be a co-applicant in other projects of this call.
- Applicant
For more information, visit Media Institute of Montenegro.