The 'Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms' project strengthens the ability of media and civil society actors in the Western Balkans and Turkey to monitor, report, and respond to digital rights violations and disinformation. Through daily media reporting based on local monitoring, the project raises public awareness about digital threats and helps citizens better understand their rights in the digital space.

Journalists and civil society organisations receive tailored support, including mentorship, editorial guidance, legal assistance, and funding opportunities to enhance their advocacy efforts. These activities improve their capacity to track digital rights violations and push for policy change.

Each year, regional findings are compiled into comprehensive reports and presented at high-level conferences that bring together key internet governance stakeholders—civil society, media, academia, tech companies, and public institutions.

By combining sub-granting, capacity-building, content production, and strategic outreach, the project empowers both local and regional actors to promote digital rights and influence policy at national and EU levels.

The overall objective is:

The Reporting Digital Rights and Freedoms project aims to strengthen the knowledge and skills of media and civil society to systematically understand the link between digital rights violations and disinformation, to assert the right to information, and to effectively respond to abuses in the digital environment.

The specific objectives are:

• Identify recurring patterns of digital rights violations across the region to inform the development of protection mechanisms, policy recommendations, and improvements in legal frameworks.
• Raise public awareness of digital rights and disinformation, ensuring societies are better informed about violations and critical threats in the digital ecosystem.
• Enhance the digital resilience of media professionals and civil society actors through targeted training sessions, capacity-building workshops, and financial support via grants.
• Foster increased participation in internet governance by men, women, and youth through dedicated tools such as digital reporting platforms, community meetups, and regional conferences.
• Equip local stakeholders with the tools and resources needed to monitor, report, and advocate for digital rights protection and freedom of expression.

By the end of the project, the following results are expected to be achieved:

• Policy recommendations issued to relevant institutions based on research papers, annual reports, and continuous monitoring of digital rights violations.
• Approximately 1,500 cases of digital rights violations to be identified, documented, and stored in dedicated databases.
• An estimated 20 million citizens in the Western Balkans to be reached through 500 published articles and the wide dissemination of project results.
• Over 150 journalists and civil society organisations to report enhanced skills and capacity to counter digital threats.
• Around 3,000 citizens across the region to actively use a specialised engaged citizens reporting tool.
• At least 15 media outlets and CSOs to benefit from sub-grants and mentoring support, while 30 individuals to receive fellowships to report on digital rights and freedoms.