Project purpose

To raise awareness of citizens, and to educate media professionals on the significance of public interest in upholding good governance principles.

Implemented by: Institute of Communication Studies

Project duration: 01.05.2015 – 31.03.2016

Donor: British Embassy in Skopje

Project Components

Component 1: Deconstructing the concept of public interest in a Macedonian and EU context a comprehensive comparative analysis of the notion of Public Interest in Macedonia and the EU, , and the public perception of public. Providing a systematic understanding of the nature of the public interest, the role of the media,. perceptions of public interest and commonalities in defining it across several jurisdictions. comprehensive overview on key legislation in Macedonia and the region

Component 2: Developing a Guideline for Public Interest Journalism with an incorporated Public Interest Test (PIT) and five newsrooms editorial and producer guidelines (including PIT) for broadcast, print and online media outlets on national and regional level

Component 3: Digital citizenship initiative “Res Publica”. Main aim of Res Publica was to empower citizens, journalists, experts, and members of other communities to participate and debate about the issues of public interest, essentially creating a professional network that will analyze pressing issues of public interest. The online platform contains detailed information related to the long-term aims and specific goals of the project, results from the monitoring and research, documents and international standards, links to other international or domestic initiatives, as well as analysis of relevant domestic and international legislation.