Become a founding member
Over the past 20-plus years, we’ve accomplished a lot, publishing over 25,000 articles and training more than 10,000 journalists and journalism students in the process. But it hasn’t been easy, and not only because of the repressive conditions that linger throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
Our business model has depended on institutional donors, supplemented by our own self-financing (selling site subscriptions, as well as organizing summer courses and site visits for schools).
The pandemic, however, has forced us to cancel all of our on-site courses. And do what we might, our operations remain overly reliant on project-based grants, with little directed toward organizational development. That has greatly hampered our capability to report thoroughly on the backsliding in democracy across the region, to train the next generation of journalism leaders, and offer more support to often-embattled independent media organizations across the region.
In response, we are launching this September a membership program with a simple, but ambitious goal: to finance, within three years, at least 50 percent of the costs of our online magazine through the contributions of our readers, people just like you. And we’re looking for the first 100 founding members to get us started and show the way.
We would be proud to display your name or organization on our founding members wall, or just anonymously if you don’t care to publicize your contribution.
In response, we are launching this September a membership program with a simple, but ambitious goal: to finance, within three years, at least 50 percent of the costs of our online magazine through the contributions of our readers, people just like you. And we’re looking for the first 100 founding members to get us started and show the way.
So please become a founding member today and champion our mission to support high-quality, independent journalism and an informed and engaged public.
Much appreciated,
Jeremy Druker
Executive Director and Editor in Chief
PS. Here’s a quick reminder of our main activities and some recent updates:
TRANSITIONS MAGAZINE
For more than two decades, Transitions has provided insightful coverage of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, and Eurasia. Our network of local and international contributors examine the news and trends shaping the region. We serve as a platform for the region’s independent journalists to cover topics often underreported in their home countries.
MEDIA ACADEMY
More than 10,000 people have passed through our training programs. Our courses specialize in traditional journalism skills; the latest digital techniques; media literacy; and combatting disinformation. We have developed our own online learning platform for both mentored and self-learning courses and regularly run webinars and online workshops. This year, we launched interactive e-learning courses in multiple languages for journalists in Ukraine, Moldova, and the Balkans on how to report accurately in the age of an infodemic.
PRESS START
Press Start is the first global crowdfunding platform for reporters in countries where the press cannot report freely. Our crowdfunding campaigns offer a lifeline for reporters unable to find financing for stories important to their communities. Press Start seeks talented journalists with scant resources to support their work, connecting them with a global audience willing to invest in them. In recent months, we helped raise funds for three crucial cross-border stories: the smuggling of South American cocaine to the European market and a coverup in Moldova; the rise in domestic violence during the pandemic in Poland and Hungary; an investigation into EU recovery funds and corruption.
SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM
Solutions journalism spotlights effective responses to societal problems. This innovative reporting approach enhances accountability and public engagement and can serve as a catalyst for meaningful change. Transitions provides training, mentoring, and stipends for journalists who want to embark on rigorous coverage of what’s working in their communities.