The AGILE project, co-funded by the European Union (EU), supports independent media in countries where media freedom is under threat.
The Community Journalism Training activity is a four-day, hands-on training course designed to strengthen the ability of journalists, bloggers, and community communicators in southern Kyrgyzstan and the Fergana Valley to produce reliable and engaging multimedia content for local audiences.
Drawing on the findings of a research conducted in 2025 (CFI Information Environment Mapping in Central Asia), which identified significant gaps in access to practical and locally relevant information across the region, this training programme focuses on essential skills that are highly sought after but often inaccessible to practitioners outside major urban centres.
Over four days, the programme will equip participants with practical skills in basic journalism and ethics, storytelling and local story identification, mobile journalism (video and audio using smartphones), and podcast production. The sessions will also introduce simple AI-assisted tools for editing, transcription, and captioning. A peer-exchange session will foster connections between participants and support future collaboration.
Each participant will produce at least one story, short video, audio recording, or podcast draft, which they can then further develop and submit to AGILE community journalism small grants available after the training.
The training will be delivered in Kyrgyz with translation into other languages available. Attendance on all four days of the training course is mandatory. Participants are selected based on clear and transparent criteria. Participants from within the city are provided with transport compensation for round trips. Non-resident participants living more than 30 km outside of Batken city are provided with accommodation and travel.
Please note that only retained candidates will be contacted.
Eligibility criteria
To apply for this workshop, you must:
- Be based in Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan
- Basic literacy in Kyrgyz and/or Russian
- Access to a smartphone
- Available for the full 4-day training
- Motivated to develop a story idea or community project during and after the training
- Priority given to individuals from underrepresented communities, including women, people with disabilities, rural populations, and economically disadvantaged groups with limited access to professional training
Evaluation grid
Profile, skills and expertise
Relevance of background (journalism, media, communication, civil society, or community engagement); education or training (formal or informal), sufficient proficiency in Kyrgyz or Russian. Open to diverse pathways to ensure inclusion. |
30 |
Experience
Previous experience (professional, academic, or community-based) related to media production, public communication, or work with communities whose perspectives are underrepresented. Formal journalism experience not required. |
30 |
Motivation
– Reasons for applying
– Commitment to learning
– Relevance of the training to applicant’s work or community role
– Potential to apply skills and develop a story or project afterwards. |
40 |
| Total |
100 |
