M100 Sanssouci Colloquium

“How to finance independent journalism – education, platforms, and business models”

Date of the event: September 8th – 14, 2017, Potsdam (arrival 7th, departure 15th)

The financing of independent journalistic projects in transformation societies and autocracies is a key concern that impedes or at least hinders democratic processes and developments. It is therefore crucial not only to impart journalistic tools of the trade and ethical standards, but also to provide young journalists from this region with information about the financing options available and which models are suitable for their ideas and potential readers, enabling them to realise their own journalistic projects and support democratic processes.

Titled «How to finance independent journalism – education, platforms, business models”, the M100 Young European Journalists Workshop (M100YEJ) is inviting 15 Eastern Partnership and Russian journalists between the ages of 18 and 27 to Potsdam and Berlin, Germany, for 8 days in early September.

The workshop is being organised and prepared in cooperation with the journalist association Netzwerk Recherche e.V., with experienced journalists from non-profit and independent journalism initiatives as workshop trainers.

The focus will be, among other things, the founding of independent journalistic platform or initiatives in the digital age, and developing sustainable financing models. On the basis of concrete examples, the participants will explore diverse financing options and analyse which ones will be suitable to their needs regarding their specific location and background.

In collaboration with important actors of independent journalism and foundations promoting an independent journalism the workshop will also tackle strategies to develop and maintain a community and on securing journalistic independence for the founders. With this information and an experienced founder as a contact person, participants conclude the workshop by creating their own concept for establishing an independent (online) medium.

The workshop will be held in English at the MIZ Babelsberg.

The one-week workshop (plus arrival and departure) also includes a two-day stay as a guest student in various editorial offices and journalistic start-ups in Berlin and Potsdam.

The week ends on 14 September with participation in the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium. Held shortly before the German Bundestag elections, this year’s colloquium will present some 60 high-level representatives from the fields of politics, science, media, and relevant companies and institutions. Titled “Democracy or Despotism? The Renaissance of Dark Powers”, the event explores the impact of current political developments in Europe, the world situation after Trump’s first nine months in office, as well as the future and responsibility of the media.

Application requirements:

Young journalists between 18 and 27 years old from the countries of the European Partnership and Russia (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as from Russia), can apply by submitting a text in English to the following task (6.000 characters maximum, including spaces):

• Design a realistic concept for an independent journalistic medium which would be operable in your country or as a cross border project. Describe the content of this medium, the targeted reader- or usership and develop a possible way to finance it (sketching is sufficient — no need to develop full business plan) 
• Name some projects of your country or other countries that you know well and analyse why they function or why not. Also elaborate on which are the major obstacles for financing independent journalistic initiatives in your country. 

• The application form includes the text (max 6.000 characters including spaces), a CV (with your date of birth and a photo), as well as a motivational statement, stating your reasons for applying for this particular workshop. Only applications in English are taken into consideration.

Please also share with us where you found the information about the M100YEJ workshop (Facebook, Twitter, Homepage, Newsletter, colleagues etc.).

Selected participants will be invited to a Skype interview, and then the final decisions will be made. M100 will cover the travel and accommodation expenses and help with the VISA facilitation.

Please send your application by email by 12 June 2017, 00:00 a.m. (midnight) 

to: application(at)m100potsdam.org

The M100 Young European Journalists Workshop

The M100 Young European Journalists Workshop (M100YEJ) is part of the renowned annual international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium in Potsdam, Germany. Supported by the Federal Foreign Ministry, it addresses a young generation of journalists and editors between the ages of 18 of 27 from the Eastern Partnership Countries as well as Russia. In addition to the cultivation of practical and theoretical knowledge relating to journalism and journalistic work, the workshop also seeks to generate contacts and long-term ties among participants. This fruitful exchange is an important factor as it presents an once-in-a-lifetime chance for many participants to gain first-hand experience of the conditions under which their fellow journalists from different political and social systems live and work.

The M100YEJ is an initiative of the City of Potsdam and Potsdam Media International e.V.. It takes place in cooperation with Netzwerk-Recherche e.V., the European Youth Press and MIZ Potsdam.

For more information please visit: www.m100potsdam.org/en

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