(Adam Andrzejewski, RealClear Wire) The State Department will spend $300,000 to promote media freedom and journalistic professional standards in Montenegro, according to a new grant opportunity.
The State Department is looking for projects that will “support the practice of high quality, professional journalism,” as well as provide “support for media literacy and critical thinking” and “support investigative journalism.”
Montenegro media outlets and non-governmental organizations are eligible to apply for these grants, with a goal to select organizations “that adhere to high professional standards in their reporting and/or activities and have a record of trustworthiness and success.” The State Department intends to issue multiple grants between $30,000 and $70,000, and intends to spend $300,000 overall. Projects should take about a year to complete.
The Biden Administration is ever focused on climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its grants. It suggests topics for investigative journalism in this grant, including those with a focus on the rule of law, environmental protection, strengthening democratic institutions, human and minority rights, and gender equality. It also recommends projects help citizens, “ultimately reject disinformation.”
It’s ironic that America is funding clinics on journalistic integrity and professionalism abroad when Americans’ trust in domestic media outlets is at a near record low, with just 34% of Americans trusting our own media to fully, accurately, and fairly describe the news, according to a Gallup poll.
With numbers like these, maybe America should find ways to fix its own media problems before throwing money to the Balkans.
