Your Novi Sad Story: Apply for Youth Media Sprint

The Regional Academy for Democratic Development (ADD) and Educons University invite students, young journalists and media content creators from Novi Sad to apply for the programme “Youth Media Sprint: Novi Sad Newsroom Lab”.

The programme is intended for young people aged 18 to 35 who want to develop the skills needed for professional, responsible and publicly relevant local journalism. The project aims to empower 16 young journalists and media content creators from Novi Sad through practical education, specialised training and a three-month mentoring process.

Through the programme, participants will learn how local topics are researched, verified, shaped and presented to the public in a way that is accurate, useful and understandable to citizens. Special focus will be placed on solution-based journalism, cyber security, fact-checking, identifying disinformation, light watchdog techniques, multimedia production and digital editing.

Who can apply?

The call is open to students, young journalists and media content creators aged 18 to 35 who live, study or work in Novi Sad.

Members of student, youth and informal newsrooms are especially encouraged to apply, as well as young people who already produce media content or want to become involved in youth and local media.

The selection process will take into account the motivation of candidates, their readiness to actively participate in the full programme, and gender balance, with the aim of ensuring equal participation of women and men among the selected participants.

What does the programme include?

Participants will take part in a cycle of practical educational sessions, specialised trainings and three months of mentoring.

The programme will cover topics such as:

local journalism and journalists’ safety, including physical and digital security;

media and information literacy, fact-checking and identifying disinformation;

trust, ethics and credibility in local reporting;

solution-based journalism, focused not only on problems, but also on possible solutions;

light watchdog techniques, including the basics of using freedom of information requests;

digital skills, mobile journalism, multimedia production and digital editing;

responsible use of digital and AI tools in contemporary media work.

After the educational sessions, participants will work in small groups and, with the support of mentors, develop local journalistic stories on topics that matter to Novi Sad and young people in the local community.

Why apply?

By taking part in the programme, young people will have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge from experienced journalists, educators and experts, develop their own local story from idea to publication, learn how to verify information, use public sources and build audience trust.

The programme is designed as a practical working process in which knowledge is immediately applied through research, teamwork, mentoring and the production of concrete local media content.

When and where?

The programme will take place in Novi Sad. The exact dates of educational sessions and trainings will be shared with selected participants.

Participation in the programme is free of charge.

How to apply?

Applications are submitted through the form “Application for Participation in the Project – Youth Media Sprint: Novi Sad Newsroom Lab”.

All interested candidates are kindly asked to carefully complete the form and provide basic information about themselves, their experience, motivation and interest in local journalism and media production.

Application deadline: 30 May 2026.

YOU CAN APPLY FOR YOUTH MEDIA SPRINT HERE

For additional information, please contact us at: office@regionaladd.org

The Regional Academy for Democratic Development and Educons University invite young people from Novi Sad to apply and become part of a programme that connects knowledge, practice, mentoring and local stories of public interest.

The project “Youth Media Sprint – Novi Sad Newsroom Lab”, implemented by the Regional Academy for Democratic Development in partnership with Educons University, is supported through the broader “MEdIA-Lit” programme, led by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE/CGO) in partnership with the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in North Macedonia, the Tirana Centre for Journalism Excellence from Albania and the Atlantic Initiative from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with financial support from the European Union and co-financing from the Ministry of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organisations of the Government of Montenegro.