Tackling Transformation

About the programme

Cuts to US funding have forced many independent newsrooms across Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus to reduce staff, put projects on hold and rethink how they sustain their journalism. Tackling Transformation gives media organisations time, practical resources and expert support to explore what they can achieve together. Participating partnerships will spend up to 21 months developing and testing joint projects rooted in their everyday needs.

One partnership might build a shared editorial workflow or produce a joint series. Another might develop a newsletter, reach underserved communities or share audience research. Others might introduce common digital tools, pool specialist expertise or organise technical and administrative tasks together. Our goal is to create working relationship that remains useful beyond the programme.

What will happen?

In 2027, selected media will join hackathon formats to explore common challenges, meet potential partners and develop cooperation proposals. Four partnerships per country will then put their ideas into practice: 16 partnerships across the programme. They will have access to mentoring and project resources for journalistic, organisational and technical needs, with regular reviews to discuss progress and adapt their plans.

Five online learning modules will connect participants across the four countries, creating space to exchange experience on shared workflows, audience development, organisational sustainability and secure digital collaboration. The partnerships themselves will work within each country, while the wider programme connects media across borders.

As the partnerships take shape, we will share their stories: what brought the newsrooms together, what they tried and what changed. Newsletters and published stories will follow their progress, while an online gathering in early 2029 will bring people together to exchange experiences and ideas for what comes next.

Who can take part?

The programme is designed for small and medium-sized independent media in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine that want to develop their organisations through cooperation. It is aimed at people with editorial, organisational or strategic responsibilities.

Tackling Transformation is organised by n-ost in partnership with Lviv Media Forum (Ukraine) and Media Initiatives Center (Armenia), with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).