Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

The backbone of professional and independent journalism

29/09/2020

The media situation in the Western Balkans is deteriorating as a result of repeated attacks on media freedom and systematic undermining of the profession. The countries of the Western Balkans now rank amongst the lowest of all European countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2020 World Press Freedom Index

Of the 180 countries listed by RSF, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in 58th place, followed by Kosovo on 70, Albania is 84, North Macedonia 92, Serbia 93, and Montenegro 105.

Speaking at a conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2019, the general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, said that Media freedom is declining all over Europe but the situation is worse in this region than in any other place.

It is within this challenging media landscape that Thomson Foundation is working as part of a consortium in a project funded by the UK Government's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to develop and strengthen the editorial independence and business operations of local media outlets in the six Western Balkans countries.

Why Local? Local media is particularly vulnerable according to a recent study commissioned by Thomson Foundation which indicates that local outlets in all six WB countries are overwhelmingly neglected compared to the national ones. Here local media refers to those organisations that operate outside the capitals and big cities.

The foundation's study is unusual as there is currently little or no detailed knowledge about local media as most research focuses on the national level. It revealed opportunities to help these media organisations to engage audiences as a potential source of revenue.

It comes at a time of increased importance for local media. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the need for local, appropriate, and accurate information. As the Council of Europe points out the provision of timely information about public health risks is a critical element in crisis response.

Media in the Western Balkans Approximately 18 million people live in the six countries of the Western Balkans, of which Serbia has the largest population, about 7 million and Montenegro the smallest, 0.6 million.

Overall there are around 1,500 local media outlets, almost half in Serbia, followed by 19% in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12% in Albania, 10% in North Macedonia, 7% in Kosovo, and 5% in Montenegro.

The general media markets in all these countries are fragmented, saturated, and opaque in regard to the number of outlets and their operations, with ownership also often obscure. The online media market is the most vibrant, with on average six online outlets operating in each community.

The Thomson Foundation study identifies that, in the absence of stable revenues local media are dependent on public financing, and so, since income from advertising is limited, their editorial policies adapt to the dominant political option, while those that strive to remain professional and independent find it hard to survive, with little donor help available

Local media Some news websites are trying to avoid this dependence on public financing with innovative approaches. Direkt based in Trebinje in Bosnia and Herzegovina is described as an untypical news portal with a primary goal to report not on every event but to focus on selected topics with more analytical and in-depth reports. The aim to tap into a more targeted audience and revenue streams.

Mileva Malesic from TV Forum in Prijepolje, Serbia, offers another approach. The creation of local outlets network for sharing products and information could be of immense help, she says.

TV Forum recently ran a crowd funding campaign to raise funds for new equipment. In less than two months they collected USD 5.500 which represents almost 50 per cent of their monthly budget.

Role in the community According to journalist Nikolija Bijelica from Direkt there are more negative than positive sides to working for a local media outlet.

On positive side one knows better what the main issues in the community are and who is responsible to address them, she says. On negative side the list is slightly longer. Namely, in small communities everyone knows everyone so the pressure on journalists is greater.

Suzana Nikolich from the Kumanovo news website in North Macedonia, has similar views. She points out that local media's biggest advantage is at the same time its biggest disadvantage.

Knowing the majority of people or knowing someone that knows someone is good for obtaining unofficial information, she says. But in the same time problematic due to constant pressure on media workers.

Challenging environment But despite working in challenging environments, journalists in local media outlets are aware of their importance and the key role they play for the local communities

Limos Didani, founder of Saranda Web, a news portal based in Saranda, Albania, points out that the role of the local media is crucial to the voices of the community being heard. The people want their concerns raised and to continue to be in the news until they are resolved.

As an example of slow but steady progress that local media can initiate in local communities Mileva Malesic from TV Forum points to her personal experience. She was the first female journalist to be employed in the Prijepolje local outlet which was set up in 1952. Since her appointment the number of female journalist in Prijepolje has steadily increased. In TV Forum, which Mileva established in 2008, of the 10 employees six of the journalists are women.

This article draws on a Comparative Study: Local Media in the Western Balkans completed by the Thomson Foundation in March 2020. It examined how local media operate across the six countries in the region examining shared characteristics in particular the challenges they faced; financial sustainabili
LINK: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/the-backbone-of-professional-a...
See more stories from thompsonfoundation

More from Thomson

15/03/2024

Connecting and training Sudanese journalists-in-exile

To help empower Sudanese journalists living in exile amidst the ongoing conflict in their homeland, Thomson trainers have been delivering workshops designed to ...

01/03/2024

Award winning young journalists get their mojo in London

MoJo is something I want to pursue further and include, not as a last thought, but as a one of the components of my daily work. Michelle Banda Vodacom Young Jo...

23/01/2024

Open Call: Executive Learning Programme For Media Professionals in the Western Balkans

A chance to apply for the new learning programme specifically designed for media...

16/01/2024

AI and Disinformation: why collaboration and culture change matter

This is a summary of the inaugural Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa held on 30 November 2023, focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Disinformation. T...

22/12/2023

Enhancing minority representation in run-up to Pakistan s elections

Pakistan is one of more than 65 countries where decisive elections will take place in 2024 in what will be the biggest election year in history. Thomson Media ...

19/12/2023

Rwanda: High-impact investigative journalism celebrates success

An innovative investigative training programme for Rwandan journalists has resulted in the publication of 15 impactful stories which have prompted widespread ch...

18/12/2023

Head of Development: New role for Thomson

As 2023 draws to a close, a new chapter begins for Thomson with the appointment of a new member of the team. Anton Artemyev joins us in January in a new role a...

24/11/2023

In the news - media insights for Young Journalist finalists

The three finalists for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year 2023 enjoyed an action-packed trip to London which included meeting the Queen, visit...

21/11/2023

Yara El Murr wins Young Journalist Award 2023

Yara El Murr from Lebanon is Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2023. Yara received the honour at the Foreign Press Association Media Award...

17/11/2023

Yashraj Sharma: The 2022 YJA winner on a year of opportunity

Yashraj Sharma has seen big changes in his life since he won the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award in 2022. In the run up to the 2023 winner being anno...

10/11/2023

Paris Charter on AI and Journalism unveiled

Thomson Foundation has joined 16 partner organisations to launch the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism'. The first of its kind, the charter defines crucia...

01/11/2023

Zuha Siddiqui, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Zuha Siddiqui from Pakistan is a labour and tech reporting fellow for the global non-profit publication Rest of World. She's one of three finalists nominate...

01/11/2023

Jamaima Afridi, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Jamaima Afridi is a freelance journalist based in north-west Pakistan on the edge of the Khyber Pass. Her stories focus on injustices faced by women and vulne...

01/11/2023

Yara El Murr, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Yara El Murr is a 25-year-old journalist and documentary filmmaker from Lebanon. She is a finalist in Thomson Foundations Young Journalist Award 2023. The awar...

01/11/2023

Announcing the 2023 Young Journalist Award finalists

Young journalists from more than 60 countries entered this years prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award 2023. Countries from across Africa, Asia...

26/10/2023

Investigative journalism exposes new scandals

The 2023 EU Award for Investigative Journalism has proven to be an exceptional showcase of talent, diversity and shifting journalistic priorities. More than 20...

16/10/2023

Thomson Foundation announces new trustees

Thomson Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees - investment expert, author and former financial journal...

12/10/2023

Unique training courses to help create the definitive account of the Ukraine War

Some of the world's leading foreign correspondents and war crimes investigators have contributed to a set of major new training courses for journalists cove...

05/10/2023

Thomson joins Partnership on AI

Thomson Foundation is delighted to be one of five new organisations to join Partnership on AI. Thomson is now one of 114 partner organisations from around the ...

28/09/2023

Shortlist for Young Journalist Award 2023 revealed

An astonishing array of talented journalists from around the world have made it through to the shortlist for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award 2023....

18/09/2023

Thomson Talks: Former Google director to lead Thomson Foundation Thought Leadership events.

Madhav Chinnappa, the former Director of News Ecosystem Development at Google an...

14/09/2023

Strengthening the media s role in promoting democracy

Thomson works with journalists in some of the toughest places in the world. Their work and livelihoods are frequently under threat. Thomson Foundation believes ...

05/09/2023

Disarming disinformation: piloting new proof technology

A pioneering system aimed at preventing the spread of disinformation and creating verifiable content from capture to publication is being road tested in a serie...

15/08/2023

Connect 6: The magic of mentoring

To mark the Thomson Foundation's 60th year of nurturing and training journalists globally, we matched six talented young journalists with six of the best in...

07/08/2023

Backing brave journalism in challenging places long-term

In the autumn of 2022, I was introduced to a young Afghan journalist in London. Zahra Joya had fled Kabul a year before as the Taliban swept through the city. A...

27/07/2023

Award winning inspiration from young journalists

Pursuing independent journalism is more important than ever. Right now, we are not just facing one or two crises. The crises that journalists are facing are not...

05/07/2023

From trainee to trainer: The man who brought Mojo to Sri Lanka

KC Saranga has trained more than 1,000 journalists, students and people in marginalised communities in Sri Lanka on how to tell stories using their mobile phone...

04/07/2023

Top quality entries for EU Investigative Journalism Award

A total of 267 applications from 7 countries, representing 125 media outlets and featuring a diverse group of authors (both individuals and groups), have been s...

03/07/2023

Young Journalist Award 2023 is open for entries

Since 2013 our Young Journalist Award has celebrated the outstanding young talent in the media profession. The award is an opportunity for those brilliant young...

28/06/2023

Transforming cultural journalism in the Western Balkans

A new project is underway in the Western Balkans to transform digital storytelling and engage public audiences with creative and culture-related content. Aroun...

19/06/2023

Reaching the million+ Ukrainian refugees in Germany

Staying informed about everyday life and events in Ukraine is crucially important for the refugees who have fled the war. By April 2023, 1.06 million Ukrai...

14/06/2023

Rwandan journalists awarded funds to support investigations

Equipped with new investigative journalism skills and financial support after recently completing a training programme, 15 Rwandan journalists are empowered to ...

22/05/2023

Unveiling a seminal course on AI ethics in the newsroom

The Thomson Foundation is proud to unveil a pioneering free, online training course designed to help newsrooms address a defining issue of the modern age: the e...

12/05/2023

60 years: Our alumni s stories

Sixty years after it was founded Thomson Foundation - now joined by the Berlin based Thomson Media, continues to innovate. Its blended approach to life-long lea...

09/05/2023

Investigative journalism competition Western Balkans and Trkiye

Journalists from Western Balkans countries and T rkiye are invited to submit their investigative stories for the EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023. On...

06/05/2023

Media under siege: how journalists are being silenced.

The onslaught of false news against real news is unprecedented. In the Middle East, an alarming trend of people doubting published news is overwhelming, Mohamm...

04/05/2023

Why Moldova is ahead of Romania in Media freedom

This article is written by Vitalie Cojocari, a journalist and broadcaster with Euronews in Romania. He is a mentor for the Thomson Media project EU support for ...

26/04/2023

Connect 6: The power of mentoring

Three months after Thomson Foundation offered six young journalists a once-in-a-lifetime chance', its world-class mentoring programme Connect 6' is re...

25/04/2023

Let's hear it for audio

Despite reports to the contrary, radio isn't dead. In fact, not only has it been revived but its combined with its close cousins, the podcast and the long r...

25/03/2023

Finding their voice - the women bringing parity to Pakistan's media

To increase women's participation; these four words, written down in four seconds, in a proposal can take months, if not years to achieve. Especially, wh...

24/03/2023

Rwanda: developing a course for investigative journalists in Rwanda.

When I started out as an investigative journalist, there were few practising journalists in Kenya to learn from or manuals that I could read to sharpen my skill...

23/03/2023

Journalift: Access all languages

Journalists in the Western Balkans have been given access to free resources and training in their own languages thanks to a unique platform launched by Thomson ...

22/03/2023

Ukraine: collaboration in time of war

One million refugees have been welcomed into Germany since the Russian invasion who aside from being far from home have lost contact with their community and in...

21/03/2023

Building the Resilience and Relevance of independent media

Millions of people in Tajikistan have read, watched and listened to an extraordinary social media campaign which has clearly shown the population's hunger f...

08/03/2023

Valley Voices: Accessing women s voices

It's August in Pakistan and much of the country is underwater. Catastrophic flooding has killed hundreds, left millions homeless and destroyed infrastructur...

15/02/2023

She Leads Media: Bettina Fellowship scales up at Africa Media Festival

A strong, fearless and effective media, where talent is recognised and rewarded regardless of gender. That's the goal of She Leads Media: Bettina Fellowshi...

07/02/2023

Bad news for false news: how we re countering misinformation in Sudan

Our pioneering WhatsApp course is leading the way in training journalists and citizens to spot misinformation and disinformation in Sudan - a country targeted b...

03/02/2023

Valley Voices: Empowering women in rural Pakistan

The finale of the third Valley Voices project saw women journalists and writers gain confidence in writing about some of the more controversial topics facing wo...

23/01/2023

Connect 6: Thomson Foundation launches mentor programme

Take six of the brightest young journalists and connect them to six of the best in the industry and you have the recipe for Connect 6', a new, world-class ...

10/01/2023

Unique new course on the art of writing news analysis

You're a journalist and news breaks that Pele, arguably the greatest footballer the world has ever known, has died. A colleague in your newsroom is assigned...