2025-05-06

BRUSSELS – The Pluralistic Media for Democracy project is backing 19 small local outlets in news deserts and areas with limited media diversity. The initiative combines the Media Pluralism Fund by Journalismfund Europe with mentorship from International Media Support (IMS), co-funded by the European Commission and King Baudouin Foundation.

The key to ensuring that people can understand and exercise their rights in their communities is independent, local, regional, community and investigative media. These outlets are well positioned to win over their local audience’s confidence, and combat false and misleading information.

Through strategic support in innovation, business sustainability,  diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and audience engagement, the Pluralistic Media for Democracy programme aims to mentor and empower media organisations to continue their critical role in upholding democratic values, promoting DEI, and contributing to an informed public debate across Europe.

The 19 media outlets are from Czechia (1), Finland (1), France (2), Hungary (2), Italy (1), Latvia (1), Netherlands (1), Poland (4), Portugal (2), Romania (2), Slovenia (1), and Spain (1). The total amount distributed among the 19 proposals was €599.520. 
Check the list of the granted media outlets and read more about each project: 

The jury selected the aforementioned projects for their relevance, quality of content and activities, project management, innovation and sustainability. These were four very important aspects that the jury board considered when choosing the winners. Apart from that, the jury valued their ability to demonstrate adherence to core journalism principles: fact-based, accurate, independent, fair, impartial, and accountable. Last but not least, the impact of each project on marginalised audiences was another pillar for the final assessment. The 19 projects will have a maximum duration of 9 months. 

One of the jurors expressed that the applications were of good quality and relevance: 

"Of all the application waves I have seen as a jury member, I think this one had the highest average level. I was particularly glad to see that many applicants embraced modern technology to an extent never experienced before." – PM4D juror 

Another juror also highlighted the diversity and innovative approach of the projects:

"I consider it important that the submitted project proposals give us an overview of the diversity of media in Europe and the conditions under which they operate. In the selected projects, I particularly appreciate the effort to "stand out from the crowd," the innovative approach, and the clear vision." – PM4D juror 

The jury is anonymous and it is composed by four experienced media experts specialising local media from Europe. The jury decides independently about the granting of the submitted project proposals, based on the grant rules, the assessment criteria, and the available budget.

For the first round of applications for the Pluralistic Media for Democracy grant programme, Journalismfund Europe received 93 applications from 27 different EU and non-EU countries. They are registered/domiciled in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The jury had to make some tough choices to choose the best projects to be supported.
The next deadline is Thursday 12th of June 2025 at 1 PM CEST. If you have more questions regarding the fund, book your pre-application session here to increase your chances of getting the grant. 

The Pluralistic Media for Democracy project is a 24-month project co-funded by the European Union and launched by Journalismfund Europe and International Media Support (IMS). 

For more information about the #PluralisticMedia4Democracy project, click here. 

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