✨From February 16th to 21st, a group of 25 media professionals from Nordic and Western European countries embarked on a six-day study tour to Prague, Belgrade, and Novi Sad. The visit was part of Constructive News: Fostering Solutions Journalism Across Europe, a project led by Transitions in partnership with Journalismfund Europe (Belgium), the Constructive Institute (Denmark), and SEENPM. This trip followed an earlier study tour in October 2024, during which journalists from Central and Eastern Europe visited Scandinavian countries.
The study tour aimed to provide participants with an opportunity to explore innovative and inspiring journalism in a region at the forefront of democracy building. Journalists visited a diverse range of media outlets—from major national and international organizations such as Seznam, Czech Radio, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague, to smaller, community-driven platforms like Heroine magazine in Prague, Radio021 in Novi Sad, Storyteller in Bački Petrovac, and the Novi Sad School of Journalism. Despite facing numerous challenges, these outlets have successfully carved out a meaningful and impactful presence in their respective media landscapes.
The program offered valuable insights into the transformation of media in two countries with a shared communist past. In both the Czech Republic and Serbia, journalists continue to navigate a complex environment marked by growing foreign influence, propaganda, commercial pressures, and political constraints. Yet, many remain resilient, producing impactful journalism through approaches such as solutions journalism, satire, long-form storytelling, and community-focused reporting.
Beyond exploring media landscapes, the six-day program served as a platform for exchanging experiences and discussing how constructive and solutions journalism can be effectively practiced across different political and economic contexts.
