Europe/Central Asia

The countries which made up the Soviet Union and the former socialist states of central and eastern Europe are undergoing a difficult transition process. Two decades after the fall of the Iron Curtain, political and economic pressure on the media remains the common denominator in Europe and Central Asia. While increasing restrictions on press freedom in countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus or Uzbekistan are prevalent, rays of hope such as Moldova or Kyrgyzstan are the exception.

DW Akademie offers tailored projects to address the needs of journalists in the region. In southeastern Europe, for example, support for Moldova’s emerging public broadcaster helps pave the path to the EU. In Central Asia, citizen journalism is increasingly coming into focus in order to provide the population there with essential information. Conflict-sensitive reporting is still a core issue in the South Caucasus while journalists in eastern Europe receive training  to cover special topics such as migration in Russia.