European Federation of Journalists

European Federation of Journalists

Past project

Stars4Media

Stars4Media is a training programme for European media organisations aiming at facilitating cooperation between media professionals (“rising stars”) to accelerate media innovation and cross-border coverage.

Media professionals, media organisations and tech companies from EU countries have the chance to cooperate around bottom-up Initiatives to test ideas and technologies, develop new business models and produce journalistic content.

Partners of the project are the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Europe’s Media Lab (Fondation EURACTIV), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The project is co-funded by the European Commission. Read more about the project team.

You can learn here about the first edition, which ran from November 2019 to October 2020, and supported 21 cross-border initiatives, involving 42 media organisations and 105 media professionals from all over Europe.

www.stars4media.eu

Why Stars4Media?

European news media today face an unprecedented crisis. It is a crisis of identity as well as an economic and societal crisis: financial resources and trust have been declining in the media sector for several years. The Stars4Media pilot project is responding to a proposal voted by the European Parliament in 2018. Read more about the policy context here.

The objectives of the Stars4Media training programme are to:

  • Foster media innovation: editorial, technological and marketing innovation
  • Build new media partnerships and support mobility and virtual cooperation across Europe
  • Foster quality journalism and media pluralism
  • Boost the careers of future “stars” via a vibrant community of media innovators
Actions

Discover the first Stars4Media selected participants

Applications open until 20 May 2020! More than ever before media companies need new skills and innovation. The Stars4Media programme is offering financial and constructive support to inspire change in the media sector. The first selection awarded six innovative proposals to be implemented in the upcoming months. The media professionals who have been pre-selected presented their initiatives during the Stars4Media Lab, the Stars4Media training and presentation virtual event, from 30 March to 1 April. After pitching their initiatives and one-on-one coaching sessions with the jury, five proposals received a green light and are ready to start implementing their projects. Amongst…

Registration open for the Stars4Media Lab in Brussels | 30 March – 1 April

From 30 March 30 to 1 April, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Fondation Euractiv, in partnership with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and WAN-IFRA, will organise in Brussels the Stars4Media Lab. The event, part of the EU exchange programme for media professionals, aims to provide applicants with more information about Stars4Media, create the opportunity to network, and offer specific training and insights from academics, high-level media experts, and media practitioners.  Who can participate?  Stars4Media participants who have already applied and been pre-selected for the programme Stars4Media participants who have applied but are still looking for a media partner Interested young…

Call for initiatives – Stars4Media exchange and training programme for young media professionals

NEW DEADLINE TO APPLY: 20 MAY Application form Are you a young media professional eager to gain skills, boost your career, test your ideas, and expand your network? Stars4Media is an exchange and training programme for young media professionals (“rising stars”) between cooperating media organisations, to accelerate media innovation and cross-border coverage in Europe.  Stars4Media will encourage innovation through skill-building activities between paired media organisations to test ideas, produce contents and develop initiatives around 4 strategic themes.  Who are we looking for ? Participants of this project will be young working media professionals (“rising stars”) with 2-10 years of media…

Launch of the Stars4Media pilot project – One year to innovate and gain skills!

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is a partner of the new Stars4Media pilot project, starting in November 2019. Together with Fondation Euractiv, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and WAN-IFRA (World Association of newspapers and publishers), the EFJ will put young journalists from Europe with 2-10 years of experience in contact with media outlets in order to organise an exchange programme of 4-12 weeks. WHY: Addressing the crisis of the Media sector Disinformation disorder, falling trust and readership, unprecedented challenges in their business models, shifting skills and technology. The media sector is going through a deep multifaceted crisis. Solutions for a healthy…