Grant Programme

The application period for the 2023 cohort is now closed. The next round of applications will run in October-November 2023 with the study trips taking place in February-April 2024.

In the framework of the EUD project, two cohorts of 18 journalists from 6 EU countries have the opportunity to travel to Kyiv and Kyiv region, while their Ukrainian colleagues – 12 journalists from independent UA media – embark on an intensive journey to Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Sofia.

During the week in Kyiv, the fellows gain insights into Ukraine's media landscapes, challenges, transformation, and ongoing resistance to the Russian military invasion. Journalists from the EU countries, some of whom have never been to Ukraine or have not visited it since the full-scale invasion, enrich their knowledge about Ukraine and build a network of valuable and reliable connections and sources.

The Europe-Ukraine Desk Fellowship Program provides two intensive study trips across Europe, providing a valuable experience for 12 Ukrainian fellows. The program includes visits to editorial offices, radio stations, and TV channels in the European cities of Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Budapest, and Sofia. These trips offer the fellows the opportunity to engage in enlightening discussions with journalists, media experts, politicians, and EU commissioners. They also share their perspectives on professional challenges actualised in the war context. All these visits and interactions are meant to enhance the quality, quantity, depth, and diversity of journalistic material about Ukraine published in the Western European media.

Insights into the last study visit to Kyiv

The first study visit to Kyiv took place on May 8-12. Despite heavy shellings of the Ukrainian capital in May 2023, the journalists had an insightful week by discovering the Ukrainian media landscape and journalistic practices in a country at war.

The group visited the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, met with human rights activists (Volodymyr Yavorsky, Tetyana Pechonchyk, Maria Tomak, Yanina Kornienko, and Natalya Gumenyuk), discussed the current and post-war challenges of Ukraine at the Veteran HUB, engaged in a discussion with civil society activists and representatives of the volunteer movement. The program also featured a day trip to the Kyiv region, where the fellows could see the destruction inflicted by the Russian army as well as the reconstruction projects already in place.

The Europe-Ukraine Desk Project aims to enhance European media coverage of Ukraine, while amplifying Ukrainian voices and perspectives through cross-border communication, by:

• offering grants with substantial financial support for the development of joint publications on underreported stories on Ukraine;
• providing intensive study trips for journalists from Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Ukraine;
• establishing the Kyiv Media Hub which offers monthly events, creating valuable connections for journalists based in Ukraine;
• publishing the "What about Ukraine" Newsletter (weekly from October 2023), which features an overview of current discussions about Ukraine in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Spain and points out disinformation narratives found in EU media.

Fellowship Programme

Each year, 18 journalists from 6 EU countries have the opportunity to travel to Kyiv and Kyiv region, while their Ukrainian colleagues – 12 journalists from independent UA media – embark on an intensive journey to Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Sofia.

During the week in Kyiv, the fellows gain insights into Ukraine's media landscapes, challenges, transformation, and ongoing resistance to the Russian military invasion. Journalists from the EU countries, some of whom have never been to Ukraine or have not visited it since the full-scale invasion, enrich their knowledge about Ukraine and build a network of valuable and reliable connections and sources.

While travelling to the EU countries, Ukrainian journalists visit editorial offices and meet experts and politicians to learn more about cultural and socio-political backgrounds and discourses about Ukraine. They also share their perspectives on professional challenges actualised in the war context. All these visits and interactions are meant to enhance the quality, quantity, depth, and diversity of journalistic material about Ukraine published in the Western European media.

The next round of applications will run in October and November 2023 with the study trips taking place in February and April 2024. Follow our news for the application calls. 

Grant Programme

The Europe-Ukraine Desk offers grants to journalists for producing and publishing high-quality, in-depth, underreported stories that thematically deal with Ukraine. The program aims to enhance European media coverage of Ukraine by promoting cross-border journalism, fostering a lasting journalistic network and amplifying Ukrainian voices and perspectives. Grants offer support for journalistic projects spanning various genres and formats: podcasts, features, documentaries, printed or online stories, books, comic strips, photos, and cross-media productions. Applications are possible from July 2023 to September 2024.

The programme is open to journalists from the project’s participating countries: Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Ukraine. Applicants are expected to form teams of at least two members and submit one application per team for a single project. It is necessary for the team to include at least one journalist from the EU and one journalist from Ukraine. This condition is essential for fostering cross-border collaboration.

The maximum grant amount that can be requested by the team is €5,000. The stories should be produced within 3 to 6 months and published by at least one media outlet based in an EU country by November 2024.

While travelling to the EU countries, Ukrainian journalists visit editorial offices and meet experts and politicians to learn more about cultural and socio-political backgrounds and discourses about Ukraine. They also share their perspectives on professional challenges actualised in the war context. All these visits and interactions are meant to enhance the quality, quantity, depth, and diversity of journalistic material about Ukraine published in the Western European media.

Kyiv Media Hub

Kyiv Media Hub is a series of monthly events and networking activities that bring together Ukrainian journalists and their foreign colleagues to discuss professional topics related to journalistic work in Ukraine, share experiences, and create opportunities for collaboration. The Hub features expert speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops and non-formal gatherings. It is open to all journalists and media professionals working in Ukraine.

The Kyiv Media Hub opening ceremony took place on May 12 and focused on reporting for European media outlets from Ukraine. You can watch the “Ukraine Reported: Panorama of Perspectives from Europe” panel discussion via this link.

Newsletter - What about Ukraine?

What about Ukraine? embodies its subject and mission in its name: we aim to maintain Ukraine at the centre of our journalistic attention and together deepen an understanding of the narratives surrounding Ukraine in the European media.

Every week, the newsletter provides an overview of the Ukraine media coverage in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain, and highlights examples of disinformation and propaganda debunks. Not only is the newsletter focused on the developments in the EU-media, but also sheds light on the topics currently being debated in Ukraine. Each edition offers a Ukrainian article translated into English and features a portrait of a prominent Ukrainian journalist, thereby serving as a networking tool.

The next round of applications for Ukrainian Fellows will be launched in November 2023 with the study trips taking place in April 2024. Follow our news for the application calls.