Empowering Regional Journalists for Fact-Based Reporting on Euro-Atlantic Integration

The project aims to empower journalists in Georgia’s regions and minority-populated areas, through training, re-granting and study trip, to positively shape opinion on Euro-Atlantic integration processes through fact-based, accessible reporting.

Main Project Goals:

• Promote a more informed discussionon the topical issues of Euro-Atlantic security and NATO policies, for the purpose of augmenting knowledge about these issues among journalists and consequently increasing the quality of reporting in both nationwide and local media;
• Contribute to dispelling harmful myths and managing expectationsregarding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration in order to effectively counter Russian propaganda and ensure better-informed public opinion on Georgia’s NATO and EU membership aspirations;
• Promote expertiseon the part of the media on Euro-Atlantic integration issues, including the benefits for Georgia and the wider region that ensue from these processes; and
• Raise awareness among young journalists in Georgia’s regionsas agents of positive change in Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration processes. That includes fostering deeper learning about integration and its links to the country’s democratization, security, and development.

Main Project Activities:

• Training for regional journalists and editors on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration issues;
• Competition for journalists – the winners will be invited to a study trip in Brussels;
• Re-granting competition for media editors – selected outlets will work on series publications/reports on EU and NATO issues;
• Seminars for young journalists and journalism students – in Tbilisi and (planned) in the regions;
• Discussion paper on the role of media in communicating NATO and the EU in the regions – based on participants’ input.

Training will take place in Batumi (covering Western Georgia) and in Tbilisi (covering Eastern Georgia). The minority-populated regions—Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli—will also be covered. Training in each location will last two days each. The trainees will include 15-20 journalists and media editors with mixed professional backgrounds and from different media outlets (television, radio, online, and print media).

After training, participants will take part in a competition to produce the best analysis of NATO and EU-related issues, which will be published in the journalists’ respective media outlets. Three selected journalists will receive prizes and travel for a study trip to Brussels.