Call for Journalists and Researchers on Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Albania

The call is part of the project “Strengthening Media Freedom, Professionalism and Journalists’ Safety in Albania”, funded by the European Union and implemented by BIRN Albania. The project aims through training and mentoring to build the capacities of local media and journalists to monitor Albania’s progress on media freedom and flag freedom of expression violations and other issues related to the overall safety of journalists.

Topics

• Impact of media concentration and political interference on editorial independence;
• Impact of social media and technology on professional journalism;
• Threats and online harassment of journalists;
• Protection mechanisms/impunity for attacks on journalists;
• Challenges in reporting from local and rural areas;
• Barriers to female journalists’ safety and advancement;
• Ethical reporting on gender, minorities or marginalized communities;
• Working conditions and labour rights of journalists and media workers in Albania;
• Role of disinformation, propaganda or foreign information manipulations and interference (FIMI) in the information ecosystem.

Funding Information

• Awarded journalists and researchers will receive a scholarship of 1,500 euros gross (minus personal income tax).
• They will have three months to dig deeper and research their ideas.

Eligibility Criteria

• The call only applies to journalists and researchers from Albania with previous experience on these topics.
• They will also work with experienced editors as mentors to guide them through the process of writing in accordance with BIRN standards.
• They support various forms, including investigations, data-rich stories and research papers.

Application Requirements

• All applicants must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities they undertake.
• Applicants may submit more than one application, but only one proposal per candidate may be awarded.

For more information, visit BIRN.