Reflecting on 2024: a year of programmes, opportunities, and impact

All of this you can read in the testimonies from the staff of EJC. They voice and translate the feedback we receive from all those who benefit from our activities or programmes.
Summing up what we do at EJC makes you realise how wonderful it is to make a difference for journalists and the media. The best way to do that is to listen to the great people we have with us at the European Journalism Centre Foundation; they are the ones who make it happen.

Highlights from the EJC team

Gaura Naithani, Project Manager

As the organisation continues to evolve and prioritise collaboration, even internally, I am grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from almost everyone in the office this year. 
From travelling to Kenya for the Convening to taking the lead in organising a successful News Impact Summit in Copenhagen, I feel I am becoming a reliable Project Manager who stays on top of emerging trends in the media landscape.
Most importantly, I am grateful to now be part of a new team that supports me and provides the space to take the lead. Working closely with the communications and marketing team was also a first for me this year, and I am pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly we achieved our project deliverables.
I truly value the relationships I have formed with my colleagues so far and look forward to translating this teamwork into impactful outcomes for all the projects involved.

From travelling to Kenya for the Convening to taking the lead in organising a successful News Impact Summit in Copenhagen, I feel I am becoming a reliable Project Manager who stays on top of emerging trends in the media landscape.

-Gaura Naithani, Project Manager

Marjan Tillmans, Project Manager

I am happy with the results of our Solutions Journalism Accelerator and I am proud to have been a big part of it. The project ran for 3 years and we accomplished a lot: the programme awarded 31 sub-grants, supporting 19 media outlets and 12 freelancers, with 19 mentors selected to assist the grantees, ensuring each project had dedicated guidance. It also facilitated the production of approximately 650 stories and appointed nine ambassadors to promote Solutions Journalism.

The Ambassador Network convened for an in-person meeting, while 23 editions of the Solutions Explained newsletter were published, alongside three guides and 26 blog posts. Additionally, three train-the-trainer sessions were organised, resulting in 15 accredited trainers in Solutions Journalism, including six EJC staff members and nine mentors or ambassadors.

Zlatina Siderova, Programme Lead Grants

We did an amazing job across all projects and it would be hard to pick only a few single achievements as every milestone achieved has felt like a win.  If I have to choose one, I wouldn’t focus on the numbers and the many grants we have awarded, or the number of people we have trained or reached with our newsletters, blog posts, etc.

My absolute top pick would be the Solutions Journalism Accelerator ambassador meeting in Maastricht in September. Not only because it was an amazing event, perfectly orchestrated by Juliette Gerbais and Marjan Tillmans, but also because it was the first time in a while that we had a project event at the office. It felt really great and the energy and the good vibes were overwhelming!

For me, personally, working on the Climate Award with Tara Kelly and Lucas Daniels has been an absolute pleasure and the new fresh challenge that I needed this year.

Lucas Daniels, Team lead IT, web and marketing and communications

I am proud to be part of the team that organised the Climate Journalism Award. I had the chance to orchestrate the Award ceremony and create the onstage shortlist videos using the newest technologies, showcasing the fantastic work our finalists had created. 

Working on the Journalism Innovation Network was another particular highlight this year. We brought together over 1000 journalists interested in innovation in journalism and media, produced 10 amazing podcasts, and organised several hands-on virtual workshops. 

Finally, I am, of course, happy with how EJC.net and our marketing and communications keep on evolving. The website has received the biggest updates since its launch last year, now offering dedicated accounts and a tailor-made funding application platform that is much more user-friendly for our constituency. Our marketing efforts reach more and more journalists and media, which results in more and more journalists and media finding their way to our funding opportunities, resources and events. 

Juliette Gerbais, Project Manager

One of my favourite moments at the EJC would have to be the ambassador meeting in Maastricht. After having worked with ambassadors for more than two years, it was great to finally be able to meet them in person. Their projects were very inspiring and it was great to discuss their achievements and lessons learned together.

Secondly, I really liked how one of our grantees (Slates France) reached out to us to give a training on Solutions Journalism. Knowing our grantees trust us to deliver training means a lot and I was very happy to do it. It was a great experience and they were really happy about it too!

I also really enjoy working on IJ4EU (with Zlatina Siderova): being in touch with our grantees on a monthly basis and reading their investigative articles after hearing so much from behind the scenes.

Knowing our grantees trust us to deliver training means a lot and I was very happy to do it. It was a great experience and they were really happy about it too!

Claudia Fasano, Marketing and Communications Manager

It was a truly meaningful experience to collaborate on the organisation of the News Impact Summit in Copenhagen. Not only did I have the opportunity to visit a fascinating city, but I also contributed actively to the creation of the event. It was inspiring to see how a community of journalists and media professionals, along with other participants, showed such passion and engagement. Turning all of this into an effective narrative through communication and social media was a challenging but rewarding task. It encouraged me to reflect even more deeply on my role as a marketing and communications manager, particularly on how crucial it is to translate collective experiences appropriately and through the right channels to foster collaboration.

It was a truly meaningful experience to collaborate on the organisation of the News Impact Summit in Copenhagen. Not only did I have the opportunity to visit a fascinating city, but I also contributed actively to the creation of the event. It was inspiring to see how a community of journalists and media professionals, along with other participants, showed such passion and engagement.

Working in this role provides a privileged perspective on the hard work of industry professionals to grow, develop, and adapt journalism and communication methods to modern times, ensuring they truly serve people. Additionally, I became deeply interested in specific projects, such as Solutions Journalism, and discovered its implications and benefits. These new insights have not only enriched my professional knowledge but also contributed to my personal growth, offering valuable reflections and opportunities to develop further.