Nagorny Karabakh Journalists Support
Professional support and psychological rehabilitation
The description of this project has been provided by the implementing partner.
About the project
After the escalation of the conflict in September 2023, many journalists from Nagorny Karabakh left the territory. Three partner organisations in Armenia each ran a series of events to help them integrate into the Armenian community and the local media environment.
Altogether, over 70 journalists took part in the training and rehabilitation programmes. Later some of them received subgrants to carry out their own journalism projects.
How the training was delivered
Public Journalism Club has been providing displaced journalists from Nagorny Karabakh with ongoing psychological support and subgrants for internships since spring 2023. In addition, it delivered regular journalism training teaching trauma-informed journalism and strategic communication skills. These events involved specialists from the Armenian Scientific Association of Psychologists. The two organisations also conducted a needs assessment that aimed to identify the psychological and professional need of displaced media workers.
Between November 2023 and August 2024, Yerevan Press Club also organised professional seminars and training for journalists from Nagorny Karabakh.
Through the programme, the journalists were introduced to other media professionals in different parts of Armenia and learned about the ethical and legal nuances of journalistic work. Editorial staff from well-known media outlets, including Aravot, A1+, CivilNet and FactorTV, were involved as trainers and mentors. Participants were able to gain valuable insights and also had opportunities to make contacts for possible future collaboration.
In autumn 2023, Media Initiatives Center (MIC) organised a series of residential events outside of Yerevan dedicated to professional rehabilitation for displaced journalists from Nagorny Karabakh.
During an intensive five-day programme professional journalists from Armenia led sessions on storytelling, fact-checking, digital security and conflict-sensitive journalism. The trainers also continued to provide mentoring support beyond the end of the project. In addition, due to the severity of the psychological trauma experienced by the participants, the programme also focused on how to look after your mental health when working with emotionally challenging material.
Achievements by programme participants
During the different programmes the journalists from Nagorny Karabakh were able to further develop their professional skills. Many of them later received subgrants for their own projects which focused on the experiences and stories of people displaced from Nagorny Karabakh.
Programme participants successfully produced over a hundred outputs in a range of different formats: long-form articles, documentary films, short videos, TV programmes, multimedia stories, podcasts and photo reportages. Their work was published by media outlets, such as Ampop, Aravot, Medialub, Aliq Media, Boon TV, Step1, Regional Post and others. One of the films made with support from MIC received a special award from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in a journalism competition.
Moreover, participation in the programmes helped the journalists to build strong professional relationships not just with the programme organisers but also with each other.
This project was important because it gave us the opportunity to work again. I felt like a professional again. And although beforehand I hadn’t felt psychologically ready to get back into journalism, the event restored my hope that I could re-engage with my passion for journalism.Participant of MIC's residential event
The programme is very varied and informative. Each time it provides answers to new questions and helps us to orientate ourselves in the Armenian media landscape.Participants Yerevan Press Club training
