The Media4EU project implemented by Eurothink in partnership with ALDA and BIRC – Balkan Institute for Media and Democracy, is dedicated to the improvement of media and journalism standards in the Republic of North Macedonia. The initiative connects communities across North Macedonia with the European integration process through innovative media partnerships and grassroots outreach, while strengthening the role of local media in this transformative process.
Recently the Media4EU initiative has successfully launched six diverse projects across North Macedonia, each tailored to address the specific needs and characteristics of the different regions. The projects cover a wide variety of topics, all while ensuring that communication related to the EU integration processes are locally relevant and nationally coherent. Each project brings together civil society organisations with local media partners to strengthen journalism standards while improving public understanding of EU integration processes.
1- Building Bridges Through Youth and Art
In the Polog region, the Organised Youth Association – OYA has launched their project “Through youth, art and journalism to the EU road“. Working in partnership with Ora24.tv, this nine-month project focuses on raising public awareness of EU integration through the combination of economic development perspectives, gender equality advocacy, and youth opportunity promotion.
One of the main objectives is encouraging women, youth, and artists to actively engage with and creatively represent the EU negotiation process. Through non-formal education such as youth media training hubs, public art initiatives, and comprehensive online awareness campaigns, the project creates multiple pathways for civic engagement. Additionally, the project’s specific focus on multimedia content creation, including articles, videos, and public art, reflects a sophisticated understanding of how different audiences engage with information.
2- Strengthening Regional Media Capacity
In the Southwest region, CSD IMPACT Ohrid working closely with Play Radio Struga, have developed “EU values through local media“. This project addresses a critical gap in media capacity for covering complex EU integration processes. The initiative recognises that effective journalism about European integration requires specialised knowledge and skills that many local media outlets currently lack.
Through workshops focused on media coverage of the European integration process, the project provides journalists and media professionals with the tools they need to report accurately and engagingly on EU-related developments. The development of action plans and strategies for media coverage ensures that these improvements are sustainable and systematically implemented.
3- Fostering Inclusive Dialogue and Cooperation
The Institute for Democracy and Development Pulse of Democracy in collaboration with Radio Jehona FM Kumanovo launched their project “Building bridges: Advancing the dialogue for the European future of Macedonia” which emphasises the critical importance of networking and cooperation among different stakeholders in the EU integration process. The project specifically targets chapters 10 and 23 of the EU negotiation framework, addressing fundamental rule of law and information society issues that affect press freedom.
Furthermore, the project includes information meetings, two-day capacity building workshops, strategy development, monitoring matrices, radio shows with central and local government guests, publication of ten analytical papers, informational materials, and a Europe Day debate. This systematic approach builds networks between civil society, media, and government while providing concrete information products while the project’s innovative use of podcasts, internet portals, and radio announcements ensures that information reaches citizens through multiple channels.
4- Environmental Leadership and Civic Engagement
The Association of Citizens Media Plus in collaboration with Radio Kanal 77 and the Macedonian Media Services through their project “Citizens and the media are ‘greening’ Chapter 27” address environmental and climate change issues within the context of EU integration.
By improving media visibility of civil society organisation activities in this area, the project ensures that citizens understand not only what changes are coming but also how civil society is working to address environmental challenges. The initiative aims to provide platforms for networking among institutions, civil organisations, and citizens creates opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and shared learning, recognising that effective environmental policy implementation requires coordination and cooperation across multiple sectors of society.
5- Promoting Agricultural Development and Rural Engagement
Across the Southeast region, the Association for Civil Society and Media Literacy “Medija Infonet” in partnership with Radio StrumicaNet, has developed “Connect the Southeast for a European Future” a project that focuses specifically on the impact of EU agricultural policies on regional development, with particular emphasis on the IPARD program.
The project’s focus on agricultural modernisation and rural development addresses one of the most significant opportunities that EU integration offers to North Macedonia. By organising educational workshops for farmers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders, the initiative ensures that those who will be most directly affected by EU agricultural policies understand both the opportunities and requirements involved. Furthermore, through the use of social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, the project aims to reach younger audiences who may be considering careers in agriculture or rural development.
6- Empowering Youth Voice in Media
Youth Alliance Krusevo in collaboration with Broadcasting Company 21-M and the Association for Freedom of Speech and Professional Reporting BRIANION Demir Hisar, aim to strengthen young people’s capacity for active participation in North Macedonia’s EU integration process through the project “Youth voice for EU in the media”. The initiative’s focuses on building young peoples’ media literacy and analytical skills to ensure meaningful participation in democratic processes requires and critical and engagement with information.
By encouraging active participation and civic engagement through media partnerships, the project creates pathways for young people to move from passive consumers of information to active participants in public discourse. The project’s emphasis on digital and social media for engagement and education recognises that young people are often early adopters of new communication technologies and can serve as bridges between different generations and communities in discussions about EU integration.
Overall, each project, while addressing specific regional needs and focus areas, contributes to a broader informed public discourse about and meaningful civic engagement with European integration. By supporting projects that address challenges through multiple lenses and methodologies, the Media4EU initiative ensures that citizens across North Macedonia have opportunities to engage with European integration in ways that are personally meaningful and locally relevant. The partnerships between civil society organisations and media outlets are an opportunity for capacity building across both sectors simultaneously, as these projects create conditions for ongoing and sustainable dialogue about EU integration that will continue long after the formal project periods end.
Through the Media4EU initiative, ALDA continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting democratic development and European integration at the grassroots level. These projects represent not just individual efforts to improve public understanding of EU integration, but collective contributions to building a more informed, engaged, and democratically participatory society.
