MCCM
RESILIENCE
OUR MEDIA
Visits to newsrooms and media initiatives abroad contribute to the professional and personal growth of journalists and activists.
By Rubina Čengić
Meeting journalists and activists from other countries helped Balša Rudović, a journalist from Montenegro, understand how fragile freedom of expression is and how important it is to recognize and respond to threats in a timely manner.
“During the study visit to Istanbul, we covered a wide range of topics – human rights, freedom of speech, media laws in various countries, media freedom and possible improvements to media legislation, activism, public advocacy… This experience and the conversations with colleagues from Turkey were extremely valuable and changed the way I think about freedom of speech, as well as media legislation,” says Balša Rudović.
As part of the “Regional Academy for Future Leaders of Change on Media Literacy and Media Activism” implemented through the “Our Media” initiative, he visited Istanbul for a two-day event where young people from the Western Balkans and Turkey learned how to advocate for media-related issues through local activism. In the later phase of the project, some of his colleagues visited Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Inva Hasanaliaj from Albania says that visiting the newsrooms of Deutsche Welle and Correctiv in Berlin gave her a firsthand insight into how some of the most prestigious media organizations work. She describes it as an inspiring experience that opened her eyes to certain issues.
“What impressed me most was their openness in sharing knowledge about how they adapt to technological changes, particularly how they use tools such as ChatGPT. While many journalists around the world initially perceived such technologies as a threat, Deutsche Welle chose to embrace this change by developing its own internal systems inspired by similar technologies. This approach of adaptation rather than resistance has stayed with me. It influenced the way I think about the future of journalism as a profession that should not be defended from change, but should evolve alongside it, while preserving its core values,” Inva explains, emphasising that an important aspect of the visit was also the opportunity to build new connections.
“These new networks I have established are incredibly valuable and can serve as a foundation for future collaborations, which is especially important for independent media initiatives.“
The Benefits of What Was Learned, Even Years Later
Over the past three years the regional program “Our Media” has been implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
Mediacentar Sarajevo was interested in this project because several staff members had very positive and constructive experiences with study visits, and they valued the opportunity to connect with organizations and individuals who have already developed good practices in activism for freedom of expression and the media. They are aware that such visits are very expensive and complex to organise, but also a highly valuable method for the exchange and transfer of knowledge.
“They have had a very transformative impact on our organisation’s work because you gain inspiration, new contacts, and you learn even when you are not aware of it during the visit itself – after some time, you recognise in your work that you are applying something you have seen or heard. In addition, they enable learning through practice, as you see how a system functions, what is successful, what works or does not, you can break down certain prejudices towards specific ideas, and you have the opportunity to speak with people who have already tested ideas you are considering,“ says Maida Muminović, Executive Director of the Mediacentar Foundation in Sarajevo.
Mediacentar itself has developed several programmes and projects following various study visits and has revisited its approaches to certain topics.
„For example, for years we have been drawing knowledge, resources and contacts from one study visit related to solutions-oriented journalism.”
For Mediacentar, it was important that young people from the region understand how important it is for citizens to stand up for media freedom and freedom of expression, especially in times of crisis. An added value of these activities is personal connection.
“Study visits have another dimension – you meet people and connect in a more personal way, which is very important for countries or communities where any kind of division exists. This is an extremely valuable aspect that is difficult to present within a project framework, but is of long-term value both for participants and for the organisations that organise such visits,” Muminović concludes.
Study visits were just one part of the “Our Media” initiative. Research also played an important role by identifying key trends, risks, and opportunities for media sustainability in the region, as well as mapping good practices in media activism, with the findings used to support media organisations and civil society in addressing challenges in the sector. The goal was to strengthen journalists, newsrooms, and media institutions in their advocacy efforts and engagement in national coalitions for media and information literacy. In addition, financial support was provided for projects aimed at improving citizens’ media and information literacy skills, promoting media freedom, and tackling polarisation driven by propaganda, hate speech, and disinformation.
Firsthand Experiences
One of the participants in the study visits was Hristina Cvetinčanin Knežević, a researcher, journalist, and educator from Serbia, and the founder and editor of the feminist digital platform Feminizam iz teretane. She says that the study visits to Istanbul and Madrid left a strong impression on her.
“What I remember most from both trips is the feeling that journalism, despite everything, still has the capacity to resist, to connect people, and to defend the public interest.”
She says she still remembers being part of a group of people from different countries who share similar concerns, as well as a similar energy and determination.
“Professionally, both experiences strengthened my belief that journalism today cannot survive without media literacy, solidarity, and a clear ethical compass. They also reinforced my understanding that journalism is not only about reporting facts, but also about defending the conditions in which facts can still matter.”
Hirstina says she was particularly impressed by the fight against disinformation she saw in Madrid. Together with other colleagues, she visited fact-checking organisations – Maldita, an independent fact-checking journalism organisation; Newtral, which develops artificial intelligence-based verification tools; and EFE Verifica, a journalistic organisation that investigates evidence.
“There, it [fight against disinformation] does not stop at what we often call ‘high politics’, but pays serious attention to gender-motivated disinformation, anti-feminist narratives, and the ways in which lies are used to attack women, feminism and LGBTI+ rights. This was incredibly important to me, because in the Balkans I still do not often see that level of systematic focus,“ explains Hristina.
Armin Tufo, a Bosnia and Herzegovina-based activist, says he sees the media and journalism as a powerful force in shaping public opinion and influencing what people think and how they act, and that he has always been interested in how narratives are created and how information circulates. The study visit to Madrid and the time spent at EFE were among the most impactful experiences for him.
“What really stood out was the scale of their work – the infrastructure, the number of studios, and the level of resources dedicated to content production. It was quite striking to compare this with the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This experience definitely changed my perspective.”
Armin said he realized how important social media are in journalism and how much potential remains underused in the region.
Much of it is youth-driven and oriented towards young people, including formats such as short videos, video content, podcasts and TikTok material. It felt very dynamic and future-oriented,” says Tufo, emphasising that he would like to apply some of what he saw and learned in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in creating more engaging, accessible and relevant media content for younger audiences.
“Much of it is youth-driven and oriented towards young people, including formats such as short videos, video content, podcasts and TikTok material. It felt very dynamic and future-oriented,” says Tufo, emphasising that he would like to apply some of what he saw and learned in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in creating more engaging, accessible and relevant media content for younger audiences.
Different Context, Same Goal
Reflecting on their experience, activists from Turkey, Isilay Embel and Nur Kaya, wrote about their study visit to Prague and the organisation Transitions, which works to improve quality journalism in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. They also visited Radio Free Europe and the CEDMO platform, which looks into the causes of disinformation in Central Europe, especially in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.
“What particularly resonated with us was an observation that aligns with our experience in Turkey: independent media are among the first to come under attack during changes of political power. This observation strongly reflects the everyday reality in Turkey and further reinforced our position among colleagues as journalists working in an authoritarian regime,” they wrote.
Berta Stojkovska, an activist from North Macedonia and a project manager at ALDA, took part in a study visit to Berlin, where they visited the media organisation Deutsche Welle and spoke with representatives of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, as well as local NGOs working in investigative journalism.
“The discussions we had provided insight into the methodology and structure according to which these organisations operate, offering an excellent opportunity for organisations from our countries to replicate their work. Overall, this study visit allowed us to see firsthand how European values and standards are applied in practice in the field of media and freedom of expression, something that must continue to be implemented in our countries in order to achieve competent integration into the European Union.”
Marina Grnja Klaić from the Novi Sad School of Journalism shares some of the main impressions from these visits. In Berlin, journalists from Albania and North Macedonia were particularly impressed by the advanced use of artificial intelligence in the Deutsche Welle newsroom, which uses internal software for data protection, as well as cooperation with the investigative network Correctiv on new regional investigations.
The visit to Prague focused on the safety of journalists in high-risk environments and the work of Radio Free Europe, whose strict ethical standards and adaptation to formats such as TikTok left a strong impression. Meetings with local civil society organisations also confirmed that issues such as political pressure and declining trust in the media are shared across the region, as well as in Europe.
In Madrid, participants visiting the EFE agency and organisations such as Maldita recognised the importance of a “digital-first” strategy, but also faced uncertainty about the future funding of fact-checking networks due to changes in social media platform policies.
“The reactions have been very positive. After trips to Madrid, Prague and Berlin, participants returned with the conclusion that media everywhere in the world are changing due to new technologies and that everyone is struggling equally with the same problem – how to counter fake news,” Grnja says and emphasises that despite different contexts, media in Europe and the Western Balkans share the same need for the systemic introduction of media literacy and technological innovation in order to preserve the integrity of journalism.
The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility SEENPM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
