Call for Journalists and Researchers on Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Albania

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania (BIRN Albania), in collaboration with the Science for Innovation Development Centre, SCiDEV, and Qendra Faktoje, has issued a call for applications for grants available to local journalists and researchers. The purpose of these grants is to support the production of research papers and thorough analyses focusing on media freedom and journalists’ safety in Albania.

This initiative is part of the project titled “Strengthening Media Freedom, Professionalism, and Journalists’ Safety in Albania,” which is funded by the European Union and executed by BIRN Albania. The project aims to enhance the capabilities of local media and journalists in monitoring Albania’s advancements in media freedom, identifying freedom of expression violations, and addressing overall journalist safety concerns through training and mentorship programs.

The topics of interest for the research papers include the impact of media concentration and political interference on editorial independence, the influence of social media and technology on journalism professionalism, threats and online harassment faced by journalists, mechanisms for protecting journalists and addressing impunity for attacks against them, challenges in reporting from local and rural areas, barriers to female journalists’ safety and career progression, ethical reporting on gender, minorities, or marginalized communities, working conditions and labor rights of journalists and media workers in Albania, and the role of disinformation, propaganda, and foreign information manipulations in the information ecosystem.

Selected journalists and researchers will be awarded a scholarship of 1,500 euros gross (excluding personal income tax) and will have three months to conduct in-depth research on their chosen topics. Eligible applicants must be journalists and researchers from Albania with prior experience in the specified areas and will have the opportunity to collaborate with experienced editors as mentors to ensure compliance with BIRN standards. Various formats of submissions, such as investigations, data-rich stories, and research papers, will be accepted.

Applicants must demonstrate independence and impartiality in their work and are encouraged to submit multiple applications, although only one proposal per candidate will be selected for funding. For further details and application guidelines, interested individuals can visit the BIRN website at https://birn.eu.com/news-and-events/call-for-journalists-and-researchers-on-media-freedom-and-journalists-safety-in-albania/.