The Western Balkans Media for Change programme is important for the DAN media company as it has empowered us to enhance our operational capacity and business sustainability, unlock potential for innovation and produce high-quality, inclusive, gender-sensitive content that resonates with our diverse audiences, including women.
We were provided with financial and logistical support to implement our initiative and create quality news content about and for women. This support enabled us to explore our chosen topics using the online tool provided through the programme. Continuous mentorship support has allowed young journalists to develop professionally and empower themselves. Our approach to addressing the topics within our project SHE – fighting against stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination has been enhanced, becoming more comprehensive and of higher quality. The Engaged Citizens Reporting (ECR) tool has made it faster and easier to reach a wide audience. By completing questionnaires on specific topics, readers actively participate in our research, effectively co-creating content with us. This interaction we achieve is as important as the convergence of our print edition, Dan portal and Web TV – thanks to the video content produced in our studio (partially equipped through the programme’s grant).
Through this project, we are proud to have shed light on important issues affecting women in Montenegro, a society marked by traditionalism that often places women in subordinate roles. In such a context, it is particularly challenging for young women to forge their path to success. However, many have done so with courage, and we are honoured to share their stories, combined with our joint messages, all with the aim of empowering all women to pursue their ambitions. One such story features the only woman in Montenegro working as a stonemason, a profession she inherited from her father, who supported her throughout her training and eventual takeover of the family business. We have also shed light on policewomen who protect our national borders, as well as women who hold high-ranking positions within the Police Administration. While recognising the importance of preserving the family as the cornerstone of society, our research has uncovered an imbalance in the division of family responsibilities between the partners – women being expected, and often assuming it as a personal duty, to raise children and care for elderly family members.
During the preparation of the articles, we sought out the perspectives of female experts, who were interviewed and featured as guests in our WEB studio. As a traditional media outlet – a daily newspaper – DAN strives to survive in today’s media market. Consequently, we are adapting our content production for our online edition, recognising that video segments are vital for reinforcing and enriching news stories. We are therefore grateful that this programme – funded by the UK Government and implemented by the British Council in collaboration with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Thomson Foundation and INTRAC – recognised the importance of the DAN newsroom’s initiative to equip our WEB studio and wholeheartedly supported it through the grant.
DAN newsroom