"This publication presents EED’s work in the area of independent media, and reflects on lessons learned in six years of media and democracy support. It offers an analysis of the worrying trends and challenges faced by media today and calls for an urgent re-set in thinking about donor support to me ... dia in the EU neighbourhood. The document also seeks to offer recommendations for the wider donor community. Key recommendations include the need for a longer-term and more coordinated approach to media support as an essential component of democratisation, recognising the high cost of quality media and the difficulties media have of surviving in increasingly distorted markets and restrictive environments [...] Over the past six years, EED has ensured a particular focus on media-based projects, funding more than 230 initiatives. This represents around one third of all initiatives supported by EED. In line with EED’s added-value philosophy, support is usually focused on areas that cannot currently get funding from other donors, such as seed funding, bridge funding and emergency support, in addition to core funding and funding provided in a discrete way. It is important to note that EED support cannot replace the need for further support from other donors [...] EED’s media work can broadly be divided into the following five thematic areas: Ensuring media pluralism; Supporting innovation; Countering disinformation; Investigative journalism and documentation; Media targeting specific audiences." (Pages 3-4) more

"Recommendations revolve around five building blocks of a co-ordinated strategy that calls for: 1. A regional news hub for the Russian language that embodies the values of fairness, accuracy and watchdog reporting, and builds a network of partners to leverage high-quality news content to wider audie ... nces across platforms [...] 2. A content sharing platform (“content factory”) to encourage the production and distribution of highquality programming on television and online, with particular emphasis on content that reflects local issues and local lives [...] 3. A centre for media excellence in the Russian language that co-ordinates the work of governments, NGOs and educational institutions in ongoing market research and media monitoring, media literacy programmes, professional training and peer-to-peer exchanges. 4. Alongside the three main building blocks, a basket fund should be established to provide a critical mass of funding for the building blocks [...] 5. On top of the three main building blocks should sit a multimedia distribution platform that guarantees a degree of “buy in” and ensures content generated by the news exchange and content factory reaches the widest possible audience." (Page 4) more