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As part of the Media for All project, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, wants to connect students and young journalists who wish to gain practical knowledge in the field by working with well-respected media organisations in the Western Balkans.
Journalism students, recent graduates and journalists at the beginning of their career from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are welcome to apply for a paid four-month traineeship programme at well-respected media outlets across the region.
If you are looking to kick off your career in journalism, but are struggling to find the right place to gain practical knowledge, our traineeship programme is what you need. The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, is collaborating with established, independent and highly professional media outlets across the Western Balkans to offer a total of 12 placements alongside financial and mentoring support.
The second round of the traineeship programme was launched after successfully completing a first cycle from November 2020 until February 2021, where 12 aspiring, young journalists spent four months working in professional newsrooms in the region, producing over 300 different news pieces. Some examples of their work may be seen here, here, here and here.
We are offering 12 traineeship placements in six Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia (two placements per country, see the full list of host media here).
Due to the travel restrictions and health concerns caused by COVID-19, applicants will be placed in the outlet in their country of residence. Applicants may express their preferences as to which media outlet they would like to spend their traineeship with, but the organisers maintain the right to make the final decision about placement.
Who can apply?
Senior year journalism students, recent graduates or young journalists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia may apply.
Applicants must be between 18 and 26 years old.
Candidates from all parts of the country in question are encouraged to apply, as the project can provide funds for travel within one country, as well as accommodation costs.
Financial support:
All selected participants will receive financial support during their placement to cover minimum living costs.
In case candidates need to travel or relocate within the country during the course of the programme, travel and accommodation costs will also be covered by the organisers.
How to apply?
Applicants should complete and submit only one application that is below.
All applications should be submitted in English before June 13th, 2021, at midnight Central European Time to ivana.drakic.brkan@birn.eu.com along with the following documents:
- Applicant’s CV (in English)
- Motivation letter (in English)
- Work sample (in English or local language)
- Evidence of status (in English or local language)
The motivation letter should show how you would benefit from this programme and your motivation to participate.
Applicants who do not have any published work can submit their student assignments from practical courses in journalism.
Applicants should provide evidence of their current status – whether they are students, recent graduates or working as journalists. This evidence includes, but are not limited to, confirmation of enrolment for the following year OR confirmation of graduation in the last two years OR evidence of your current employment.
Language:
All applications must be submitted in English, as well as applicants’ CV and motivation letter, while work samples and proof of status may be in local languages.
Working language of the initial online training on the basics of journalism will be English, so advanced knowledge of English language is required.
The traineeship programme will be delivered in local languages.
COVID-19 restrictions:
Initial training will be delivered online, due to the different travel restrictions in the region, as well as relevant health recommendations.
The traineeship programme is set to be delivered in person, if possible, or as a combination of conventional offline approach and online, remote work.
Our main priority is to protect the health of all involved in this process, including the trainees and their mentors in the host media, so we will continue to closely monitor coronavirus-related developments and adjust relevant activities accordingly.
DURATION OF TRAINEESHIP: July 2021 – October 2021
ONLINE TRAINING: Two weeks, July 2021
DEADLINE: June 13th, 2021 at midnight Central European Time
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applicants from all sections of the community. We work to ensure that people are not unjustifiably discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation or any other grounds.
DATA PROTECTION INFO: Privacy notice
Traineeship programme is being implemented within the regional ‘Media for All’ project, funded by the UK government. This two-year project, being delivered across the six countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) aims to strengthen the editorial independence of the media.
The project supports local and national independent media outlets to become more audience-oriented and financially sustainable by improving business development and organisational capacities and strengthening relationships between citizens and the media, as well as creating a platform for engaged citizens reporting. It is also offering different capacity building training, as well as legal aid to support media organisations and individual journalists, media workers and freelancers.
This support will enable media outlets to provide citizens with a more diverse range of media content, and thus to encourage open, informed and active discussion amongst target audiences across the six Western Balkans countries. The project is implemented by a consortium led by the British Council, along with Thomson Foundation, INTRAC and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN.