South East European Media Observatory Grants

Deadline: 28 February 2014
Open to: civil society organizations: professional associations, advocacy groups, research institutes, human rights organizations, specializing in media and with relevant experience in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia
Grants: The total amount of the grant for five countries is 25000 euros, a maximum grant amount of EUR 5000 per country will be awarded

Description

South East Europe (SEE) Media Observatory has announced a call for proposals for civil society organizations (CSOs) to implement public awareness and advocacy campaigns and organize actions aiming at promotion and protection of media freedom, pluralism and integrity in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. Civil society organizations – professional associations, advocacy groups, research institutes, human rights organizations and other CSOs – specializing in media are invited to propose actions with a duration from 3 to 6 months to be implemented in 2014.

Actions under this call for proposals should focus on the main topic of the project South East European Media Observatory – media integrity. Media integrity encompasses qualities of the media system which enable the media to serve public interest and democracy. Through research activities the project envisages to find answers for the following questions: Whether and in which way media systems in the countries of SEE integrate risks of institutional corruption and political clientelism? How these risks influence the ability of the media to serve public interest and fulfill its democratic role? Which policies, structures and practices can be considered as “agents of change” to protect media integrity and advance democratic media reforms? Thus, this project explores the situation in the following major areas of media integrity:

  • Media policy development and implementation;
  • Media structures and institutions (media ownership and finances, public service broadcasting);
  • Status and situation of journalists;
  • Journalistic and media practices (methods and ethics in content gathering and presentation).

Eligibility

This call invites civil society organizations – professional associations, advocacy groups, research institutes, human rights organizations and other CSOs – specializing in media and with relevant experience in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia to submit proposals.

CSOs can apply, if they are established in any of these five countries and meet the following definition:

  • They are established as a legal entity having a non-commercial purpose;
  • They are independent of any local, regional and central governments, any public entities, political parties, religious institutions and commercial organizations;
  • They have been actively operating according to their founding document for at least 1 year prior to submitting the proposal.
  • One applicant is entitled to submit one proposal under this call.

Grants

The total amount of the grant for five countries is 25000 euros. A maximum grant amount of EUR 5000 per country will be awarded. The evaluation team may decide to award only one applicant organization, but may also split this amount between two proposals from a country.

The duration of the public awareness and advocacy campaigns will be from 3 to 6 months. Activities can start on the day of the grant decision (expected on 15 March, 2014) and should end on 30 September, 2014 at the latest. Each selected organization is to send one representative to the advocacy workshop of the South East European Media Observatory project to be held in Macedonia during the last week of March 2014. All costs of the participants will be covered by organizers.

Application

Applications should be submitted in English language via e-mail to the Center for Independent Journalism at: seeapplications@cij.hu. The deadline for submitting the applications is 24:00 on 28 February 2014. The Center for Independent Journalism Budapest will confirm the receipt of the submitted proposals by sending an email message. Additional documentation and information may be requested from the applicant during the evaluation process.  Applicants can ask further information about the Call for Proposals from the Center for Independent Journalism in writing until 20 February 2014 by sending inquiries to seeapplications@cij.hu.  The decision by the evaluation team is expected on 15 March 2014. The Center for Independent Journalism will sign the contracts with the grantees till 31 March 2014.

The application consists of three parts: the Application Form, the Budget Plan and the Supporting Documents (including the statement by the legal representative of the organization).

More information about the application procedure is available in the official call.

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