Competition for the best journalistic story announced as part of the "Openly about the EU" campaign

The Ministry of European Affairs (MEA), with the financial support of the European Union (EU), through the EU4ME project, has announced a competition for the best journalistic story as part of the "Openly about the EU" campaign, with the aim of bringing citizens closer to what EU membership means in everyday life through professional and well-argued reporting, the MEP announced today.

"The 'Openly about the EU' campaign focuses on topics that are often accompanied by public confusion and different interpretations - from the issue of youth emigration and the impact of open borders, to economic changes, identity, sovereignty and the position of small states within the European Union," the statement says.

The MEPs added that through concrete stories, experiences and verified information, the goal is to encourage an open and informed dialogue on these issues.

"With this competition, we want to further strengthen and support the media and journalists in their important role of informing the public. Professional, responsible and well-argued reporting contributes to a better understanding of European integration and what it specifically means for citizens, so that they can gain a comprehensive and reliable picture of topics that are important to them and society," the MEP statement reads.

The government department said that journalists from all Montenegrin media outlets - television, radio, print media and portals - have the right to participate, regardless of their local or national character and ownership structure.

"Journalistic stories should cover one or more topics related to the most common dilemmas related to the process of accession to the European Union, such as the impact of membership on living standards, price movements, the position of the economy and small producers, migration, youth perspectives, preservation of identity, as well as the role and influence of small states in the EU and the stability of the Union in modern global circumstances. The works can be in the form of video, audio or text content, and they need to be published in the media in which the author works in the period from April 27 to June 1, 2026 by 15 p.m. Applications are submitted electronically, with basic information about the author and a brief explanation of the choice of topic," said the MEP.

The announcement states that an expert jury will evaluate the submitted works based on the relevance of the topic, quality of processing, clarity and comprehensibility, originality of approach, and contribution to informing citizens.

"For the best journalistic stories, prizes of 500 euros for first place, 400 euros for second place and 300 euros for third place have been provided," said MEP.

You can view the competition at link.

For additional information, please contact: Nada Vojvodić nada.vojvodic@mep.gov.me or on the phone number 067 396 589.