Mediacentar Sarajevo has launched a multidisciplinary programme that brings together solutions-based journalism (SoJo reporting), grassroots activism of rights-based civil society organizations (CSOs), and various formal and informal mechanisms for civic participation. The programme was developed with the goal of enabling local media outlets to produce stories that highlight community-based models for solving pressing issues and mitigating their social impact. At the same time, it aims to strengthen long-term collaboration between CSOs and local or national media in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ensuring that their social missions are reported on thematically and substantively, rather than through occasional or event-based coverage.

 

Considering that solutions-oriented journalism remains significantly underrepresented in the BiH media landscape, and that identifying appropriate topics is often challenging, Mediacentar has developed a tailored methodology that emphasizes critical dialogue and local-level collaboration. The content production process is supported through a mentorship model with the involvement of experienced journalists and larger media outlets from BiH.

 

This programme is implemented in the southwestern and northwestern regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Una-Sana Canton, Canton 10, and selected municipalities from the Prijedor and Banja Luka regions). These areas are characterized as media-deprived zones or areas experiencing a decline in both the quantity and quality of media content. The overarching aim is to re-engage citizens through local media and raise awareness of the importance of journalism and trust in the profession.

 

The overall project impact lies in the strengthened collaboration between rights-based civil society organizations and local journalists in advocating for youth-inclusive, gender-equal, and non-discriminatory local participatory mechanisms in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This will be achieved through a yearlong, multidimensional programme including:

 

• Capacity building of local young journalists in solutions-based reporting;

• Capacity building of CSOs in effectively utilizing and improving local participatory mechanisms;

• Facilitation of structured dialogue between journalists and CSOs;

• Coordination of extensive community engagement discussions.

 

Project is supported with German Federal Foreign Office’s funds by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) via zivik Funding Programme.