Young journalists from the Western Balkans on a study visit to Paris and Brussels

The visit offered them the opportunity to discover the inner workings of major European media outlets and institutions, and to reflect on the future of journalism and European integration.
This initiative marked the conclusion of several months of training, mentoring and cross-border collaboration under the second edition of the Balkan Voices programme, implemented by CFI.

Strengthening cross-border journalism

The eight participants had previously worked in regional teams to produce journalistic investigations tackling shared challenges in the Balkans. Two teams were selected as winners of the Journalism Competition and awarded a place in the final study visit.

Discover the work of the competition winners:
- Groupe 2 : Winning journalist production by Andrej Skokic, Arigona Bytyci, Magdalena Ivanovska, Alie (Aaliyah) Ferunaj ; A relic of the past, How the Balkans trains are trying to travel into the future

- Groupe 3 : Winning journalist production by Jona Cenameri, Bozidar Milovac, Besarta Jashari and Medina Pasoma ; So Long Europe:Balkan Voices on a Lingering Promise

In Paris, the group visited the editorial offices of France Médias Monde, Le Monde, France Télévisions, while also engaging with Reporters Without Borders and a visit to Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. These meetings offered insight into editorial practices, press freedom challenges, and the role of public interest journalism in democratic societies.

Exploring the EU from within

The second leg of the visit, held in Brussels, included a series of meetings with EU institutions and diplomatic missions. The young journalists met with representatives from, European Commission, The European Parliament, The French Permanent Representation to the EU,as well as editorial offices like Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Contexte; journalists and media experts covering European affairs.
They also had the opportunity to engage in informal discussions with press officers to better understand how European policies are communicated to the public, and how regional journalists can cover European topics in a way that resonates with their audiences.

A bigger picture of what awaits us

For many participants, the visit was their first in-depth exposure to European institutions and leading newsrooms. Jona Cenameri, a journalist from Albania, said: