Initiative for Media Quality and Resilience

The project empowers media organizations to manage and perform professionally, independently and sustainably; supports them to develop more reader-relevant, analytical, reliable and responsible content; and ensures participation of civil society, media and public authorities in the progress and reformation of the media ecosystem.

For implementing this project, MIC leads a consortium, the members of which are Yerevan Press Club, Media Diversity Institute and International Media Support (Denmark).

The project builds the audience trust in the media by introducing robust mechanisms for self-regulation that are based on clear ethical principles, including transparency and accountability. Actions are implemented to promote media literacy, thereby giving audiences the confidence to navigate an increasingly confusing and overloaded information space.

The project offers journalists and media opportunities for capacity-building that enable them to acquire new skills through formal training, then apply these skills to practice by developing and distributing public interest content. It also helps them to operate safely by introducing measures to enhance the security of their digital platforms and ensure the physical well-being of their staff.

The components of this 3-year-long (2024-2027) project are:

• schools for media managers and editors-in-chief;
• fostering fact-checking in newsrooms;
• production grants and mentoring;
• strengthening and promoting the Media Ethics Observatory through awareness-raising campaigns and capacity building;
• study tour to Denmark-based self-regulation bodies;
• newsroom training on editorial guidelines and internal policies;
• new version of the Reporting Diversity Manual;
• trainings on the coverage of “urgent” issues;
• physical, psychological and digital safety training and policy documents for media outlets;
• media advocacy actions;
• journalism awards;
• media content analysis, media literacy-related content (Media.am) and events.

The budget of the project is 530,000 EUR, of which 400,000 is provided by the European Union, and 130,000 is the co-funding of the USAID-funded Media Program in Armenia, which is implemented jointly with Internews.

The “Initiative for Media Quality and Resilience” project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Media Initiatives Center in collaboration with Yerevan Press Club, Media Diversity Institute – Armenia, and International Media Support.