MEDIA

Sustaining independent media is an everyday challenge in the countries of the Eastern Partnership, in the face of growing political and economic pressures and dependence on their support, the physical and psychological impact of war, and dwindling resources. Constant collaboration between donors, media, civil society and experts plays a critical role in strengthening independent journalism in these countries. The EU supports independent media in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine through a number of initiatives, including the flagship European Union for Independent Media (EU4IM) project. EU4IM provides support to develop newsrooms and improve the immediate and long-term financial viability of these outlets. Another initiative is the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) that offers funding to support civil society organisations, pro-democracy movements, civic and political activists, and independent media platforms. Regular Eastern Partnership Media conferences are organised by the European Commission and by the EU Member States who holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The last one took place in December 2022 in Prague and focused on resilience.

These online resources help media organisations to enhance management and editorial skills and to support journalists working in politically and economically challenging environments, with a special focus on the reporters covering the war in Ukraine.