Stars4Media NEWS BOOST phase to end in May 2024, ahead of the next EU elections
#Media4Europe
Ready, set… Go! The 1st of October is not only the sign of autumn or the start of some academic programs, it is ‘the start’ of the BOOST phase in Stars4Media NEWS. We go from 14 to 9. 9 “media transformation” projects have made it forward to the second part of the programme, the BOOST phase (from the initial 14 Stars4Media NEWS winners).
These 20 media companies were selected based on a thorough set of criteria such as the quality of the transformation plan, project sustainability, support by top management and dissemination plan.
The 20 BOOST beneficiaries: 12 countries, different formats
- “Real-time news coverage planning” by Suomen Tietotoimisto (FI), Sourcefabric z. u. (CZ)
- “InfoPoint News Agency Supporting Eastern European Independent Media” by InfoPoint (LT) and The Kyiv Independent (UA)
- “Data Management System for Newsrooms” by El Confidencial (ES), Voxeurop (FR), Datasketch (ES)
- “Boosting Community Engagement Models for European Fact-Checkers” by Maldita (ES), Facta (IT)
- “APOLLOS” by BotTalk (DE), Mediahuis (BE)
- “European Cities Investigative Journalism Accelerator” by Arena for Journalism in Europe (NL), Tagesspiegel (DE), Denik Referendum (CZ)
- “Community-based subscriptions for readers who cut expenses” by POLITYKA (PL), Delfi UAB (LT)
- “DRON Media – Building Russian-language Explanatory Journalism Network” by The Fix Media Foundation (NL), Ukrayinska Pravda (UA)
- “RePod” by Bulle Media (BE), Acast (SE)
What next? Deepen, then disseminate
Over the next 8 months, the “Boosters” will have the opportunity – through further funding and tailored coaching – to implement their newsroom or business transformation building on the achievements of the EXPLORE phase.
They will meet with their transformation and process coaches and receive ad hoc assistance to make their business plan sustainable in the long term. We will follow them along their journey and share with you all updates on their transformation.
The Stars4Media BOOST phase will last until May 2024, it will entail two events in the first half of next year, both of which are open to address ideas and partnerships.
Enquiries welcome stars4media@europemedialab.eu.
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NOTE TO THE EDITORS: Stars4Media NEWS is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. It’s implemented by a consortium of four partners: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Europe’s MediaLab (Fondation EURACTIV), the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the European Journalism Center (EJC). Building on the experience and results of its previous editions (Stars4Media Pilot and Stars4Media Second Edition), Stars4Media NEWS offers funding, in-depth coaching, and peer-to-peer knowledge transfer.
In separate moves, the Stars4Media initiator plans for 2024 two physical hubs in Brussels:
If winning a further EU Call for media hubs would roll out with further partners the Stars4Media – CHESS programme. This would build on innovation and encourage willing media to boost their independent coverage of EU affairs.