Prague Media Point 2023: Program part focused on Investigative Journalism in V4 and Western Balkans
Project co-financed by the International Visegrad Fund
Our project will focus on the safety and practice of investigative journalism in the V4 and the Western Balkans. Robust investigative reporting is essential for keeping our public space clearer of the abuse of power and corrupt practices, which is now not just a question of fairness, but also of systemic stability. Investigative journalism is furthermore not only reactive, it acts as a discouraging element with regards to the abuse which keeps our public space healthier. While even mainstream media currents are struggling, investigative journalism, which is by default a long-term, niche, low-profit enterprise, is under even greater strain. Among which we sadly have to count also the increasing level of physical and online assaults on these fact-checking journalists who dare speak truth to power.
The project thus follows these objectives:
1) to showcase replicable examples of What’s Working in investigative and fact-checking journalism
2) to identify more sustainable funding channels within the regions as well as ways to ensure journalists' safety
3) to level the playing field for investigative journalists and media experts in the regions with those in the rest of Europe/world in terms of access to current information, skill building and networking.
4) to support a new generation of journalists by giving an opportunity to journalism students to take part in our gathering, put their skills to work and start building connections within the journalistic community.
The project is realized by KEYNOTE and the project partners are:
Albanian Media Institute (Albania), Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Bosna and Herzegovina), Budapest Metropolitan University (Hungary), Independent Journalism Foundation/Center for Independent Journalism (Hungary),The Stanislaw Brzozowski Association/Krytyka Polityczna (Poland), Škola komunikácie a médií (Slovakia).
The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
