US Embassy in Kosovo Grant: Supporting Serbian Language Media Sustainability

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The United States Embassy in Kosovo announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to increase the sustainability and reach of Kosovo Serbian language independent media through partnerships with local technology firms/startups.

 Priority Region: Kosovo

Program Objectives:

 The objectives of this program are:

·      To develop sustainable practices and partnerships between independent Serbian language Kosovo media partners in order to provide alternative sources of information to Serbian language speakers in Kosovo and throughout the region. 

·      To develop partnerships with local technology start-ups to help increase the reach of independent Serbian language Kosovo media partners and identify innovative ways to interact with youth audiences.

·      To increase media literacy of independent media partners to help them avoid amplifying misinformation/disinformation from malign actors.

Successful proposals must have and include: 

·      Partnerships with at least four (4) established Serbian language independent media partners in Kosovo or the region.

·      Partnership with at least one (1) Kosovo-based startup, technology NGO, or technology firm focused on developing innovative technology solutions with Serbian language independent media partners.

·      Exchange program elements where partners work for periods in each other’s newsrooms and joint investigative efforts. 

·      Joint training programs to increase knowledge about attribution standards, fact-checking, ethics, media literacy, sources of mis/disinformation, and other topics.

·      Developing technological automated solutions to share and amplify partners’ content while ensuring standardized attribution language; technological solutions would also provide tracking mechanisms for partners to see when media content is shared which partners shared it.

·      A combination of innovative technological solutions paired with journalist SMEs, identify, measure, and track disinformation in Serbian language media to help media partners understand the original source of content before amplifying. 

·      Innovative ways to use technology to interact with youth Serbian language audiences while providing alternative sources of news.

Proposals should include appropriate funds for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of program successes and challenges, and a detailed description of how M&E will be carried out and program success will be determined, including a logic frame and a list of outputs and outcomes expected.

Proposals should detail a robust media plan, and winning applicants should plan to share their online activities/posts with the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section (PAS).

For more details please see “Related Document” tab.