portEl: Young Voices Matter

The project significantly exceeded its original targets. The initial goal was to produce at least 80 reels, whereas more than 330 were published between December 2025 and April 2026 alone – more than four times the planned number. Competitions, user-generated content and a public debate gave young residents new opportunities to show Elbląg from their own perspective and to have a voice in discussions about their future.

Project Activities

The project focused on developing new forms of local journalism that could reach younger audiences more effectively, particularly people aged 15–25, who increasingly use short-form video and social media rather than traditional news formats.

portEl.pl created a dedicated "Elbląg w rolce" ("Elbląg in Reels") section, integrated with its mobile platform, allowing short videos to be published and users to submit their own content. The editorial team regularly produced video content covering local news, events, everyday life in the city and topics relevant to younger residents.

One of the project's most important results was the scale of production of new content. The original target was to produce at least 80 reels. In practice, more than 330 were created between December 2025 and April 2026 alone. This significant overachievement demonstrated that short-form video was not simply an experiment limited to the duration of the project, but had become an important and regularly used tool in portEl.pl's local journalism.

Another important element of the project was encouraging young people to create their own content. The editorial team organised themed reel competitions, including a Christmas edition and the "Fall in Love with Elbląg" competition, inviting residents to show the city through their own eyes. This allowed audiences to move from being passive readers and viewers to becoming active co-creators of local media.

The project also strengthened the editorial team's skills in mobile and video journalism. Journalists experimented with new ways of telling local stories, learned how to adapt traditional journalism to short-form video, and gained a better understanding of how younger generations use media. As a result, a new working model was developed that can continue beyond the end of PM4D funding.

Another important event was the public debate organised by portEl.pl together with the Academy of Applied Sciences in Elbląg on 29 April 2026. Its main theme was whether young people should stay in Elbląg or leave the city. Students and other young residents discussed their future directly with the Mayor of Elbląg. Topics included employment opportunities, housing, education, quality of life and the prospects available to young people in the city.

The debate created a space for direct dialogue between young residents, local media and local government. It also demonstrated that local journalism can do more than simply report on young people – it can create a space where they can speak for themselves about their needs, concerns and expectations.

What is the impact?

The project addressed the issue of news deserts not by filling a complete lack of local news – Elbląg already has an established, independent local media outlet in portEl.pl – but by responding to another increasingly visible challenge: the weakening connection between traditional local journalism and younger audiences.

Young people increasingly obtain information primarily through social media and short-form video, where local journalism competes with entertainment, influencers and content unrelated to the local community. If local media fail to adapt the way they communicate to changing audience habits, there is a real risk of losing contact with an entire generation of residents, even if reliable local information continues to be produced.

Through "Elbląg w rolce", portEl.pl began delivering local information in formats that are natural and familiar to younger audiences. At the same time, the project went beyond simply transferring traditional journalistic content into video format. Young residents were given the opportunity to participate actively, submit their own content and show the city from their own perspective.

The scale of the result – more than 330 reels compared with the original target of at least 80 – confirmed that there is a real space and demand for this form of local journalism. In this sense, the project helped prevent the emergence of a kind of "generational news desert": a situation in which reliable local information exists but does not effectively reach younger members of the community.

The most important change was the creation of a stronger and more direct relationship between young residents of Elbląg and their local media outlet. Young people were invited not only to watch and read content, but also to create it, comment on it, participate in competitions and show the city from their own perspective.

Exceeding the original target for the number of reels by more than four times also demonstrated that the new format can become a lasting part of portEl.pl rather than an activity limited to the grant-funded project. The editorial team gained experience, tools and skills that will allow it to continue producing short-form video after the project ends.

The public debate added another dimension to this engagement. Young residents were able to speak directly with the Mayor of Elbląg and ask questions about employment, housing, education and their future prospects in the city. Through portEl.pl's coverage, their concerns and expectations became part of the broader local public debate.

The project therefore brought about change both for audiences and within the editorial team itself. Young residents gained new opportunities to participate in local public life, while portEl.pl developed new ways of reaching younger generations. The tools, formats and experience gained through PM4D remain within the editorial team and can continue to be developed after the funding period ends.

Project Links

• Młodzież debatowała z prezydentem o tym, czy warto zostać w Elblągu
• Elbląg w rolce. Pokaż miasto po swojemu!
• Pokaż młodzieżowe strony miasta w kolejnym konkursie Elbląg w rolce!
• Elbląg w rolce. Sprawdź, kto wygrał świąteczną edycję konkursu
• Elbląg w rolce. Sprawdź, kto wygrał konkurs
• Zakochaj się w Elblągu i zrób o tym konkursową rolkę

Project Pictures

Photo by portEl.pl