Competing Narratives

What is the role of editorials and commentaries in the international media? Why are they so rarely used in some countries? And what contribution can opinion pieces make to the relationship between media and their audiences? "Competing Narratives brings together experienced editors and journalists from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine who are interested in these questions and enables them to establish the format of the opinion piece in the media landscape of the project countries.

Who are we working for?

The project is aimed at journalists/editors who are interested in introducing opinion articles on foreign affairs in their newsrooms. Over a ten-month period (June 2023-March 2024), selected participants from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine will work with international experts and gain insights into the specifics of op-ed writing on international affairs.

Main activities and commitments:

Offline workshops in Yerevan aimed at discussing how national narratives shape views on a particular political situation and how this can be reflected in editorials and commentaries.

Offline workshop in Tbilisi on foreign coverage and improving cooperation through the exchange of opinion pieces between newsrooms

Regular publication of editorials on (regional) politics

Capacity building: online events with international experts throughout the year and feedback rounds on reader reactions to the material produced

Knowledge multiplication through workshops led by participating editors/journalists for colleagues/journalism students in the project countries.

Exchange of commentaries between selected media, directly challenging and enriching their audiences with different points of view.

What do we hope for?

We look forward to promoting the editorial/opinion format and to transforming the group of participating editors/journalists into a network that will continue to work together and exchange reports, opinions and commentaries after the end of the project.

Who are we working with?

Our partner organisation, the Media Initiatives Center, was established in Yerevan in 1995. Since then it has implemented a wide range of projects (capacity building for media and journalists, media literacy, innovative content development and co-production, improvement of media legislation and protection of journalists' rights) in all regions of Armenia and beyond its borders.

"Competing Narratives can create opportunities for dialogue and discussion between groups with differing viewpoints to foster better understanding and potentially bridge divides."
Vigen Sargsyan, MIC project coordinator