Potsdam, 12 July 2017. During this year’s M100 Young European Journalists Workshop (M100YEJ) in Potsdam (7 to 15 September, 2016), young journalists from Eastern Partnership Countries and Russia will be introduced to various financing options and opportunities for independent journalistic projects.

About 60 highly qualified young journalists from all Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) as well as from Russia have applied for this year’s M100YEJ, titled “How to finance independent journalism – education, platforms, and business models”.

Supported by professional and experienced trainers, the 15 selected participants will jointly work on concepts for independent journalistic projects. The various financing models they will develop during the training are applied to the economic and legal conditions of their home countries.

Challenges and obstacles in their home countries are particularly serious. The media are often owned by private or state institutions and are used to support their political or economic interests. However, owners of the few existing independent journalistic portals and media often suffer from political and economic pressure or menaces. Hence, objective, reliable information is not provided sufficiently and simultaneously, the spread of propaganda is enabled and promoted.

Tatiana (23) from Russia is selected for this year’s M100YEJ. She started comparing the coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict among Ukrainian and Russian media and concluded: “Both sides are using media as propaganda tool to shape certain public opinion. It leads to an escalation of interpersonal communication and increase of aggression between two neighbouring nations that share common history, culture and religion."

Manvel (26) from Armenia believes that media providing deep-dive analyses on the conflict will have a positive effect on the mind-sets of the locals. "In general, people in Armenia do not really seem to be interested in any alternative news about the opposing side as the majority believes traditional media provide the ultimate truth about the development of the conflict. This is because of the lack of independent media giving an insight on the lingering Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict." However, independent journalism cannot grow in an environment that does not promote or support independent journalism.

At the M100YEJ, Tatiana, Manvel and her colleagues will not only learn how to found an independent medium or journalistic project, how to do marketing and to develop target groups, but they will also be connected with potential funders and supporters in order to effectively realise their projects.

Additionally, the participants will have the opportunity to get insight knowledge on media companies based in Germany, such as Deutsche Welle TV, rbb, DIE WELT, and Alex TV.

The workshop ends with the participation at the international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium on September 14, 2017. Titled "Democracy or Despotism? The Renaissance of Dark Powers", about 70 high-level editor-in-chiefs, historians and representatives of political institutions are invited to the Sanssouci Orangery in Potsdam.

The M100YEJ is supported by the Federal Foreign Office and ZEIT Foundation. The workshop takes place in co-operation with Netzwerk Recherche, European Youth Press, Press Club Belarus, Medieninnovationszentrum Babelsberg (MIZ), Orange Magazine and the Association of young Journalists in Armenia.

A visual summary of the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium 2016 "WAR OR PEACE, The return of geopolitics, disintegration and the radicalisation of society in Europe" and the M100 Media Award to the italian author Roberto Saviano. Political keynote: Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, laudation: Giovanni di Lorenzo (die Zeit)

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"At the same time, today’s prize is an appeal to all persons who hold positions of responsibility in governments, in culture and in the media: be steadfast, value-oriented and also COURAGEOUS when irresponsible persons and powers undermine or relativise our values of freedom. It is a virtue to yield to a convincing argument, but it is cowardice to yield to a threat from enemies of freedom."

Joachim Gauck in his laudation for Kurt Westergaard, September 8, 2010

"It is a great honour for me to be here and receive this great price. It's a very big day for me. I thank Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dr. Joachim Gauck for the kind and strong words, and for their appreciation. Thank you, I will never forget this day!"

Kurt Westergaard, M100 Media Award Laureate 2010

"Facing new challenges it is time to facilitate a regular exchange between European media. For this reason I am very grateful that the M100 initiative exists."

Dr Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republik of Germany

"I receive [this award] with an immense joy, happiness and humility also, because I think by being with you today here, I am receiving this price in the name of those who are still suffering in the jungle of Colombia and of those in the world that are living in similar conditions and who cannot speak for themselves freely."

Ingrid Betancourt, M100 Laureate 2008

"But I have to say that in our modern society the media has a very, very particular responsibility, also for the European idea. And I hope that the event today – and the events which will follow – will help us to communicate better, to explain better and to convince people that Europe – and acknowledging all the problems, the mistakes and the deficits – […] that at the end of the day the idea of European integration is the best idea that we have ever developed in our history."

Günther Verheugen, former EU-Commissioner in his keynote speech 2005

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"I am very moved, especially because I was not expecting to hear these words, which are like an embrace for me. So I want to thank you for this award, for the incredibly moving words of Giovanni di Lorenzo, for this wonderful sky that has welcomed me to Potsdam, and also to thank the Federal Chancellor for her touching words, and for her encouraging presence. Because the awareness raised heartens me a lot more than words."

Roberto Saviano, M100 Media Award 2016

How to finance independent journalism?

"It is a great honour for me to be here and receive this great price. It's a very big day for me. I thank Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dr. Joachim Gauck for the kind and strong words, and for their appreciation. Thank you, I will never forget this day!"

"Facing new challenges it is time to facilitate a regular exchange between European media. For this reason I am very grateful that the M100 initiative exists."