Almost three decades since the fall of the Iron Curtain, political and economic pressures on the media remain common in regions in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Increasing constraints on media freedom in countries like Azerbaijan, Belarus or Tajikistan stand in sharp contrast to a few bright spots such as Georgia, Moldova or Kyrgyzstan.
DW Akademie is responding with tailor-made projects: in Southeast Europe it is encouraging closer ties with the European Union, for example, via a public media competence center in the Western Balkans.
The focus in Central Asia is on strengthening community journalism to increase people's access to information. In the South Caucasus the focus is on media law. In the conflict in Ukraine, media professionals are to receive further training via distance learning.
