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How “For the Children of Veliko Tarnovo” tested its idea – and grew

When “For the Children of Veliko Tarnovo” entered the Validation Booster programme, it was already more than an idea. The platform existed, it had started working with advertisers, and its founder believed it was solving a real problem. What she did not yet know was whether the evidence supported that belief, or whether the project could become sustainable in the long term. Created to

Every crisis is an opportunity: Rethinking sustainability for independent media

Facing donor withdrawal and rapid AI disruption, independent outlets explore fresh strategies for sustainability at Thomson Foundation’s regional masterclasses Since the beginning of 2025, independent media in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Western Balkans (WB) have been facing financial challenges that demand a fresh approach to sustainability. The withdraw of the USAID earlier this year has triggered a shift in the landscape

Behind the seams: Exposing the exploitation of Albania’s garment workers

How an award-winning investigation exposed the hidden realities of Albania’s women-led garment workforce The story uncovering the exploitation of women in Albania’s garment factories secured the Citizens’s team third prize at the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025. Their investigation brought long-overdue attention to the urgent and often-overlooked social and economic challenges faced by thousands of women across the country. For years, journalist Erisa Kryeziu

To give up or reframe: What unconfirmed hypotheses teach us about validation

How unexpected results, failed assumptions, and market signals shape better products and smarter decisions Chances are that all of you reading this have a stack of post-it notes close by. We all use them, we love them in different colors, they are almost part of our office decor. But that little piece of paper with adhesive on it is known in literature as a

Following Julia’s Footsteps: Inside the Investigation That Shook North Macedonia’s Security Sector

How a simple fact-check uncovered a national scandal and exposed systemic weaknesses in public appointments When a country votes for change, trust becomes the most valuable political currency. In North Macedonia, that trust was tested just months after the 2024 elections, when allegations surfaced that the newly appointed head of the National Security Agency, Bojan Hristovski, had submitted a fake English-language certificate to meet

Introducing the Regional Jury of the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025

Meet the people behind the choice for the best investigative stories in the Western Balkans and Türkiye As the national ceremonies for the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025 take place, we are proud to present the members of the jury responsible for evaluating the entries in the regional category. Regional awards were first introduced in 2023 with the goal of recognising investigative stories that

Robots can’t write headlines: How journalists are learning to work with AI

From fact-checkers to editors, reporters across the region are discovering AI’s benefits, and drawing firm ethical lines to protect journalistic quality. As part of preparing this article, we recorded a 30-minute interview in Slovak, transcribed it with Google’s Pinpoint, and used Gemini to translate the transcript into English. This made the work with the text much easier and saved us considerable time. Journalists are

Inside CORRECTIV.Europe: Where journalists share data, stories, and trust

A free network helping local reporters turn data into stories Imagine filing a cross-border investigation in 24 hours – with verified data, ready-made visuals, expert quotes, and no membership fee. That’s the daily promise of CORRECTIV.Europe. CORRECTIV.Europe launched in January 2024 and today brings together roughly 420 members from about 35 European countries. The network scales up the German model of CORRECTIV.Lokal to a

Tampon zona: Turning women’s voices into a collective movement

Journalist Iva Paradjanin Lilic created a feminist platform where empathy, honesty, and even anger become tools for resistance, representation, and change Tampon zona is not just a podcast. It’s a place for empathy, information, solidarity, and sometimes even rage. “Women’s experiences are political, personal, and powerful — and they must be heard,” says Iva Paradjanin Lilic, a journalist who has turned these words into

Calling WB media professionals: Apply for a free online training on Multimedia and Data visualisation

Thomson Media invites journalists and media professionals from the Western Balkans to apply for a free online training on Multimedia and Data Visualisation, organised within the EU-funded project Strengthening Quality News and Investigative Journalism in the Western Balkans and Türkiye II. This capacity-building training is the final in the project’s series and will help participants develop practical skills for producing engaging, data-informed multimedia stories.

National evaluation jury for the 2025 EU Investigative Journalism Awards revealed

After the successful completion of the evaluation process for the EU Investigative Journalism Awards 2025, Thomson Media introduces the Evaluation Jury in all participating countries. The panel consists of highly respected professionals in journalism and investigative reporting across the Western Balkans and Türkiye. This jury in all countries  carefully reviewed all submissions, applying rigorous criteria including relevance, research depth, clarity, ethical standards, originality, and

From Ideas to Action: Why Validation is Key to Media Innovation and Sustainability

Discover tested approaches and real-world success stories at Thomson Media’s session during the 2025 IPI World Congress As part of the 2025 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, Thomson Media will host an engaging session on the power of idea validation in shaping successful and sustainable media projects. The session will spotlight the Validation Booster programme, launched by Thomson Media to help media
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