Local Lens: Empowering Community Narratives

The initiative directly enriched the local information ecosystem, giving a platform to underrepresented communities while strengthening the publication's long-term capacity to cover regional news deserts.

Project Activities

Between September 2025 and May 2026, Okraj.cz implemented a comprehensive capacity-building initiative for three selected journalism interns: Barbora, Vojtěch, and Natálie. Paired with personal mentors, the interns participated in an intensive editorial bootcamp in Krnov, featuring tailored workshops on local ethics and in-depth reporting, as well as an expert session on local media environments led by Masaryk University academic Lenka Waschková Císařová.

Throughout the programme, the interns engaged in multi-format reporting, ranging from quick-response news for the "Week in the Region" format to covering local municipal council meetings. The core of their work focused on producing three major long-form investigative features on ethnic minorities in the region, exploring Greek identity, Polish cross-border healthcare dynamics, and German cultural heritage in Hlučínsko. Enhanced by professional photography by Kateřina Šimečková and illustrations by Tereza Ignácová, the project also produced dedicated podcast episodes and culminated in May 2026 with a public panel discussion titled "Moravian-Silesia Among Nations."

What is the impact?

The Local Lens project directly tackled the phenomenon of regional news deserts by injecting fresh, professional editorial resources into the Moravian-Silesian Region. By training and mentoring early-career journalists, the initiative built sustainable local media capacity rather than providing a temporary patch. The long-term impact is evidenced by two of the three interns transitioning into permanent editorial positions at Okraj.cz, ensuring that the region retains skilled reporters dedicated to scrutinising local government and covering underserved topics. Furthermore, the systematic framework created during the PM4D grant period served as a model that successfully attracted follow-up funding from the Endowment Fund for Independent Journalism (NFNŽ) and the Daniel Anýž Fund, securing the newsroom's ongoing presence in the area.

The project brought significantly greater visibility to historically marginalised or overlooked communities within the region, specifically the local Greek, Polish, and German minorities. By moving beyond surface-level reporting to explore complex topics like cross-border healthcare and regional identity, Okraj.cz provided its readership with nuanced, contextual local journalism. Beyond written coverage, the project fostered direct civic engagement through its public panel discussion, "Moravian-Silesia Among Nations," creating a physical space for dialogue between community members, journalists, and local stakeholders.

Project Links

• Website

Articles / Features

• Articles / Features 01
• Articles / Features 02
• Articles / Features 03
• Podcast
  

Project Pictures

Photos by Kateřina Šimečková, Graphics by Tereza Ignácová