Media Training Program (Investigative Stories Clearinghouse) FY2024 | TIRMEDIATRAINING2FY24

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Media Training Program (Investigative Stories Clearinghouse) FY2024?

It is a U.S. Embassy Tirana (U.S. Department of State) funding opportunity designed to strengthen investigative journalism in Albania. The program combines skills training for journalists and journalism students with the creation of an investigative stories "clearinghouse" that supports the pitching, editorial review, development, and publication of vetted investigative reporting.

What is the main goal of this funding opportunity?

The main goal is to increase the quality and capacity of investigative journalism in Albania in ways that help expose corruption, increase public-sector accountability, and improve transparency by public authorities. A related aim is strengthening the watchdog role of Albanian media through evidence-based investigations and a more formal editorial process.

What does "investigative stories clearinghouse" mean in this program?

In this opportunity, a clearinghouse refers to a dedicated platform or structure where investigative stories can be published after being vetted. It is paired with an editorial board that reviews and develops story pitches from journalists, helping ensure investigations meet quality and ethics standards and move from idea to publication.

Why is an editorial board part of the project design?

The editorial board is intended to create a formal process for pitching, selecting, refining, and publishing investigations. This structure can help raise investigative quality, apply standards-based review, provide editorial guidance, support independence, and make investigative work more sustainable and visible.

Who is the program designed to benefit?

The program emphasizes professional development for two groups in Albania: (1) Albanian journalism students and (2) working journalists. Proposals are expected to show how participants will improve their ability to produce independent, well-researched, high-quality investigative stories that serve the public interest.

What types of training topics are expected to be included?

Training is expected to align with U.S. and broader Western journalism standards and ethics. The opportunity points to instruction and mentorship in core investigative methods such as verifying sources, documentation, interviewing techniques, data handling, and story structure, along with ethical decision-making, fairness, and responsible reporting.

Is the program focused on general journalism training or investigative reporting specifically?

The opportunity is geared toward investigative reporting specifically. It emphasizes strengthening the media's ability to scrutinize power, identify wrongdoing, and inform the public with evidence-based reporting, rather than focusing only on general media literacy or basic reporting.

How does the program help journalists work without political or economic pressure?

The opportunity prioritizes practical mechanisms that support journalists working without political or economic pressure. This is tied directly to the clearinghouse approach, which creates a structured space to elevate credible investigations and provide editorial guidance and standards-based review.

What kinds of outputs does the program aim to produce?

The design combines training with a publishing pathway, meaning the program is intended to translate workshop or classroom learning into real investigative outputs. The clearinghouse and editorial board components support taking story pitches through review and development to publication.

What is the geographic focus of the program?

The geographic priority is Albania.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to Albanian not-for-profit entities. The opportunity explicitly includes think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations as eligible examples.

Are U.S. organizations or individuals eligible to apply?

No. U.S. organizations and individuals are specifically not eligible to apply under this program.

What type of award is being offered?

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement indicates the U.S. Mission to Albania expects an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the recipient during implementation, rather than a hands-off grant structure.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making one award.

What is the maximum funding amount available?

The maximum funding level (award ceiling) is $350,000.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?

The Funding Opportunity Number is TIRMEDIATRAINING2FY24.

What is the CFDA number listed for the opportunity?

The opportunity lists CFDA 19.900.

What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is labeled Humanities.

Who is the funding agency behind this opportunity?

The opportunity is issued by U.S. Embassy Tirana under the U.S. Department of State.

When was the opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on January 17, 2024.

What was the application deadline?

The original application deadline was February 16, 2024.

What is the program trying to change in Albania's media environment?

Based on the opportunity description, the program aims to strengthen the watchdog role of Albanian media by improving investigative skills, reinforcing ethical standards, and creating a structured editorial and publishing mechanism that can help produce and elevate credible investigations focused on corruption, accountability, and transparency.

How does the program connect training to real investigative work?

The program is structured to pair professional development with an editorial and publishing pathway. That combination is intended to reinforce training through real investigations, supported by editorial feedback and a vetting process before publication through the clearinghouse.