KecsUP Next - Engaging Our Youth Community with a Focus on the Fringe

The majority of readers are aged between 35 and 60, with a slightly higher proportion of women. Most users access the platform via mobile devices and engage actively on social media.

KecsUP is expanding its Living on the Fringe column to address issues that affect the younger age group, including housing, emigration, mental health, and equal opportunities. The “Young Reporters Welcome!” internship programme has been launched to train interns to report on their own generation.

Following a three-month innovative selection process, KecsUP will establish the “KecsUP Next Engagement Hub”, where 15–30 young people will receive practical media training over six months, participate in fieldwork, and collaborate with KecsUP journalists. The aim is to produce authentic content, offer a youthful perspective, foster community building, and promote media literacy.

Engagement Hub and Its Role in Community Editing

Activity 1: The project will expand the Living on the Fringe column with new content that directly addresses the challenges faced by 18–35 year olds. Special focus will be given to marginalised communities, including Roma youth, young women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those facing housing poverty, emigration, unemployment, or mental health challenges. The column’s content will be diversified through new videos, articles, podcasts, and data visualisation.

Activity 2.a: As part of the development of the Living on the Fringe column, the “Young Reporters Welcome!” internship programme will train aspiring journalists, involve them in fieldwork, and support them in covering issues relevant to their generation.

Activity 2.b: The internship selection process will be linked to the formation of the “KecsUP Next Engagement Hub.” Planned methods include:

• Individual and group interviews;
• Social media campaigns and questionnaires (e.g., on quality of life, leisure time, financial situation) across new platforms;
• Targeted posts on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook;
• Editorial meetings open to public input on key topics.

Following the three-month intensive communication and selection campaign, the KecsUP Next Engagement Hub will begin operations with 15–25 young participants. Over the following six months, they will receive basic journalism training, propose editorial topics, engage in fieldwork, and collaborate with KecsUP journalists on a closed editorial platform. Two outstanding interns will be selected for an additional six-month internship.

The creation of new content from fresh perspectives, developed with the direct involvement of the target age group, will deepen reader engagement with the column and strengthen loyalty to KecsUP.

Áramlat Alapítvány (Stream Foundation) is a grassroots non-profit organisation founded in 2020 by a group of private individuals in Kecskemét. It was established as a civic response to the growing state control over pluralistic media in a media desert region that lacked alternative free press, affecting a population of 500,000.

Áramlat is committed to providing platforms for free and democratic dialogue, engaging civic stakeholder groups, and is a key organiser of the Civilla Civic Hub in Kecskemét—a platform for civic NGOs representing marginalised social groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, local farming communities, and stakeholders in regional and urban development.

The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of public discourse and serving the public good, particularly by upholding freedom of information and promoting citizen participation in public affairs.

Áramlat Foundation is the publisher of KecsUP.hu, an independent rural media initiative based in Kecskemét. The organisation believes that reading the news is not enough—understanding its context is essential. Readers are therefore encouraged to ask questions, engage actively, and contribute their views.

Since its inception, KecsUP has highlighted both problems and proposals from grassroots groups on issues such as deteriorating public services, poor living conditions, the effects of climate change, and public fund monitoring. KecsUP also collaborates with other rural and national independent media outlets, including Magyar Hang and Radio Free Europe, and co-founded the Szabadhírek.hu collective site.

As of 2025, KecsUP has become the most influential independent online news service in Central Hungary, particularly within the Kecskemét/Bács-Kiskun County region. Áramlat does not accept funding from political parties and employs no staff affiliated with or elected to local or national parliamentary institutions.

Goals (Expected) of the Project

This project aims to strengthen democratic participation, stimulate public discourse, and expand media pluralism. Expected measurable outcomes include:

• Increased reach among younger audiences;
• A refreshed image and readership for KecsUP;
• A greater proportion of video and visual content;
• Increased presence across social media platforms;
• Active involvement of 18–35 year olds in content creation through community-based editing;
• The expansion of the Living on the Fringe column, featuring contributions from young interns on topics relevant to their generation;
• A concurrent community-building process to support long-term engagement and development.