GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Independent media play a crucial and valuable role in societies, in particular by upholding the essential principles of media freedom and pluralism.

Media sectors that are important for democracy lack the means of adapting to the digital environment, and more support is needed for them to continue providing a first-hand source of original reporting to citizens and help keeping decision-makers accountable.

The proposed activities must be run by civil society organisations and must focus on news media sectors of special relevance to democracy and civic participation, in particular:

• Local and regional media
• Independent and investigative journalism
• Organisations delivering public interest news/public service journalism (such as community, legal and civic journalism and media, or news increasing transparency about the media)

Applicants must present, develop and implement funding schemes focusing on independent media and organisations primarily active in one or more of these sectors, in view of the role the latter play in enhancing democracy, shaping the public debate and bringing benefits to their audiences and communities, instead of focusing on profit. These funding schemes shall take the form of financial support to third parties. They will cover as many areas and news media organisations as possible. They shall focus on activities that contribute to sustaining, improving or transforming the work of the targeted parties. 

In addition to funding schemes, applicants can propose capacity building measures benefitting their chosen sector/s (e.g. development of deontological standards, budgetary readiness, development of criteria and indicators framing their support, repositories of knowledge, legal advice or trainings of journalists for example on how to address cases of unfounded court proceedings against public participation). All projects need to respect widely accepted professional media standards. Activities must actively provide support in minimum 4 European Union countries.