Public discourses of disillusionment, disappointments, and vanishing euphoria on both sides are counterbalanced by the discourse promoting the need for patience and tolerance for decelerated or even reversed democratic developments in "the East". Recent political and social upheavals are habitually brought into usual historical and geopolitical frames, quickly labelled as pro-Russia or pro-EU and explained by manipulations, if this is not the preferred frame. Thus, old patterns of divided Europe are constantly being reaffirmed – with the media actively contributing to this process.
At the fourteenth n-ost media conference, we challenged these frames – we went “off the beaten tracks” and discussed the ways we look at things and concepts and questioned our own roles and habits: How can we manage to design our own work processes in a way to avoid routine judgments? Is it possible to venture radically new concepts of perception in reporting, which would go beyond old borders, without ignoring historical peculiarities and losing the necessary critical faculties? What is the role of journalism in times of big challenges for Europe and the world?
The city of Chişinău itself is far from the usual European routes. At the time of the conference, a new government was working hard in order to break with the corrupt past and make the country more attractive for the younger generation. We had discussions with local journalists, politicians, activists, and artists that helped us to better understand the recent developments as well as needs, hopes, and obstacles Moldova faced at that particular moment.
n-ost invited all conference participants to go on a European Road Trip and turn a journey to Chișinău into an exciting 1-2-day adventure. The idea was simple. Let's choose an eco-friendly way of travelling, take sometime off our busy calendars and get to know other journalists.
During the road trip journalists were encouraged to use their preferred social media channels to share impressions as they slow-travel through Eastern Europe. Of course, we have collected all pictures, Instagram posts and tweets.
Check out all the participating journalists listed here. This is what brings them together.
See all network membersFotograf
Bukarest, Romania
Institutional Fundraising and Programme Management
Berlin, Germany
Photographer
La Lastra de Castro, Spain
Freelance Journalist
Wien, Austria
Journalist, Aftenposten
Oslo, Norway
Kulturkorrespondenz, Deutsches Kulturforum östliches Europa e.V.
Hürth, Germany
Journalist, RFE/RL
Chisinau, Moldova
IDEM - Institute for Democracy, Media and Cultural Exchange
Berlin, Germany
Civil Expert, Cyber Innovation Hub der Bundeswehr
Berlin, Germany
Freelance Journalist, Ost-West.Europäische Perspektiven
Berlin , Germany
Freelance Journalist
Sosnowiec, Poland
Referent, Ost-Ausschuss Osteuropaverein der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.
Berlin, Germany
Journalist, FAZ
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Journalist, Bloomberg
Warsaw, Poland
Editor-in-chief, moldova.org
Chisinau, Moldova
Freelance Journalist
Warsaw, Poland
Journalist, RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland
Moscow, Russian Federation
Journalist, AFP
Berlin, Germany
Journalist, FAZ
Berlin, Germany
Staff Journalist, Novosti
Zagreb, Croatia