Future of Balkan Journalism:
Next-Gen
Media Lab
The IMM Program, funded by the EU, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission, in collaboration with DW Akademie as the implementing partner.
Media professionals from RTSH (Tirana), BHRT (Sarajevo), RTVFBiH (Sarajevo), RTCG (Podgorica), RTK (Pristina), RTS (Belgrade), RTV (Novi Sad), other media organizations, content creators and students pushed the boundaries by designing innovative programming concepts specifically tailored to the region's needs.
“As the future of journalism in the Western Balkans, it is important for us to know each other, how we think, how we learn, and how we do our jobs”, Igor Topalovic (26) RTS journalist said.
This event was a unique opportunity for shaping the future of public service media (PSM) in the Western Balkans, fostering solution journalism, promoting dialogue, and addressing social challenges like intolerance and lack of diversity.
“We improved our skills in journalism, video editing and creating material for social media which I was not used to before”, Andjela Minic (26), RTCG said. “I work for the webpage but sometimes create video formats for our social media. I now have new ideas and hope to implement them”, she added.
Throughout the lab, 35 participants, aged 20-35, took part in hands-on design sprints and creative workshops aimed at tackling the region's key media production challenges and opportunities.
“I learned about the process of bringing a new idea to life, which I think is very important: We often have ideas, but we do not know the mechanisms to execute and implement them. Agon RexhepiI (23), journalist and student from Pristina said.
With a strong understanding of media, journalism, and audience preferences, these young professionals worked in diverse teams to craft innovative content that resonates with viewers across the Balkans.
Ahmed Bradaric (35), author of a documentary series on RTVFBiH explained that he will apply the methodology he learned here in his daily work. “What I found very useful is a much easier and faster way of brainstorming and coming up with ideas, as well as finalizing those ideas into solutions, in a format that is appealing and popular for social media. The format we create for television purposes can also be distributed on various social platforms that the younger population uses more compared to TV formats”.
A Platform for Innovation and Collaboration
The participants were mentored by experienced trainers and are collaborated in diverse teams, coming from different countries, media outlets, and institutions. Through this cross-border exchange of ideas, they developed media products that reflect the values of public service and resonate with audiences throughout the region. The lab is based on a hackathon-style methodology, encouraging healthy competition that sparks creativity and drives innovation.
“We had a very intense trainings and we really have something to take away from this course”, said Vladana Djordjevic. a 31-year-old journalist from RTV. “We formed amazing connections and communication. We found out that we share many similarities, lifestyles, the same problems in our countries, we all work in media, and have (common) topics for discussion”.
Pitching for the Future of Media
At the end of the event, participants pitched their ideas to a jury panel for a chance to secure up to €5,000 in seed funding. Selected projects will be presented at the Next-Gen Media Expo, a side event at the 8th Brave New Media Forum organized by Deutsche Welle and the OSCE Mission to Serbia in Belgrade, and scheduled for November 1-2, 2024.
The EU’s IMM NextGen Media Lab is a powerful platform for reshaping the media landscape of the Western Balkans, ensuring that public service media continues to engage audiences with fresh, innovative content.
Future of Balkan Journalism: Next-Gen Media Lab | EU IMM