Free, independent and professional journalism in Eastern and Central Europe (ECER)

Despite the massive transformations that countries in Eastern and Central Europe have undergone in recent decades, the challenges to democracy and freedom of speech still remain vast. Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine – countries where we focus our activities – all have restrictive measures in place to curb media freedoms, and journalists are frequently exposed to threats and intimidation when doing their work. Spread of disinformation and fake news is on the rise, adding to the complexity of the situation and the strenuous work environment for journalists.

What we do

The ECER programme engages altogether nine countries: in addition to Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine where the programme is being implemented. Latvia, Poland and Sweden are also involved by participating in networking and experience exchange between media outlets and media and publishers’ organisations.

Through the programme, Fojo seeks to promote media development by advancing financial sustainability of media, helping publishers improve their media management and leadership skills, as well as exploring new business models adapted to the evolving digital environment. We provide long-term education, workshops, and in-house activities with focus on marketing, sales, and new formats of advertisement.

The programme further supports professionalisation of media, helping journalists master both established professional standards and new technologies. Media professionals take part in workshops, webinars, and long-term educational activities that focus on investigative reporting, data journalism, storytelling and environmental journalism –  prepared and conducted by Fojo and our partners.

Additionally, Fojo contributes to the advancement of media literacy in a number of ECER countries and promotes knowledge sharing initiatives (e.g. e-learning), particularly in Belarus.

Gender equality and inclusion are cross-cutting themes throughout the programme. This includes in-depth assessments of the working situation for women in media, as well as promoting gender-sensitive reporting.