Contest for selection of 10 partners from local media in Georgia

Terms of Reference

Contest for selection of 10 partners from local media in Georgia

within the project “Strengthening Independent Media in Europe and Eurasia”

1. General Information

Internews Georgia in partnership with Internews is launching a cross-border project: “Strengthening Independent Media in Europe and Eurasia.”

The project is a regional media support initiative in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Caucasus that aims to increase citizens’ access to reliable information about local, regional, and international issues of public importance through support to the independent media sector. Through its activities, the project will promote the values of ethical and honest journalism, fact-based coverage, independence of media outlets’ editorial policy, and freedom of expression.

In Georgia, 10 local media outlets will be selected by the project’s Steering Commission in the country as partners for the project. The local partners may represent print press, radio, television or online media. Whatever the type of media, the local partner should have a website and the ability to publish project materials online, including social media.

The 10 partner media outlets will be involved in a series of multimedia content production and publishing activities as follows:

• Publishing/promoting national multimedia packages titled “Georgia Plus” which will be prepared by national media partner(s) aimed to enrich local partners’ content. There will be 10 packages over the course of the project, and each package covers a single topic. Each national package will contain three multimedia materials related to the topic, which will be produced using modern tools of interactive visual journalism;
• Localizing the national multimedia packages to the interests of the community in which they work. This means that the local partners will produce 7 local multimedia packages of 3 stories each of their own. A multimedia package preparation period will be 4 weeks. The period of production and adaptation of each multimedia package (by central and local media) will be up to 2 months;
• If interested, publishing/promoting regionally-produced multimedia packages titled “Neighbors” (cross-border materials produced throughout all of the countries participating in the project).

The Georgia Plus multimedia packages, both centrally produced packages and local versions, should include text, video, audio, photography and various interactive elements, such as infographics, games, quizzes, audio slideshows, timelines, microvideos, etc. as these types of eye-catching, interactive elements attract new users to media websites and improve audience engagement.

Topics of “Georgia Plus” national and local multimedia materials will be decided by the project’s Steering Commission together with local partners to reflect their interests and needs. Topics will be of public interest, including but not limited to politics, elections, economics, business, environment, education, corruption, the European integration and international affairs, emigration, minorities (including people with disabilities), health, social welfare, agriculture, and conflicts. The format of the materials may be analytical and/or infotainment to spark audience engagement.

The local partners will receive a series of training and consulting activities to enhance reporting, editorial, multimedia production, and business practices, as well as mentorship to put new skills into practice. Local media partners will be encouraged by mentors to create stories in formats they may not have tried before, and will learn how to diversify their content and make it more engaging for the public through the following activities:

• Multimedia tools training and mentoring: focused on providing know-how and expertise to help partners produce their own segments at a high technical level, using multiple sources, verification techniques, fact-based evidence, and interactive techniques to engage audiences.
• Business training and mentoring: focused on enhancing skills in audience expansion, business diversification, monetizing online content, and sales/marketing.

Selected local media outlets will be partners for the entire duration of the “Strengthening Independent Media in Europe and Eurasia” project (November 2018 – September 2020), assuming the responsibility to engage in other activities such as content sharing. Involvement in these activities will be established together with the organizers of the project.

10 local media partners can apply for support for up to USD 4,500 to engage in these activities.

2. Expected Products and Services

• 7 local multimedia packages of 3 stories related to selected topics each produced and published by local partners on their own with the support of grant;
• Publishing and promotion of 10 national multimedia packages “Georgia Plus” produced by national producer(s).

Materials should be attractive and accessible, and should incorporate multimedia and interactive elements (text, video, audio, photos, infographics, games, quizzes, audio slideshows, timelines, microvideos, etc). Materials should be also adapted and placed online regardless of the local media partner’s primary platform.

All topics for Georgia Plus” packages will be selected by local partners from among 10 topics covered by the centrally-produced “Georgia Plus” packages (7 topics from 10), in coordination with the project’s Selection Commission.

3. Obligations and Responsibilities of Partner Outlets

• Proposing topics for national multimedia packages and story concepts to match local interests and needs;
• Producing “Georgia Plus” local multimedia packages, including publishing and promoting them on their own platforms and channels, including online;
• Working with editors/mentors assigned to provide guidance to local media partners; coordinating with mentors on production schedules and deadlines;
• Publishing the national versions of “Georgia Plus” multimedia packages, and promoting the packages on their own platforms and channels, including online;
• Publishing and promoting the cross-border “Neighbors” multimedia packages on their own platforms and channels, including online (optional);
• Participating in capacity building project activities (trainings, mentorship, etc.);
• Periodic reporting on activities and expenses in an established format.

4. Eligibility

• The local outlet may represent print press, radio, television or online media;
• The local outlet should be located outside the capital city;
• Reputation and proven dedication to the professional journalistic standards and ethics;
• At least 1 year presence on the media market;
• A functional website;
• Flexibility and ability to work under the pressure of deadlines.

5. Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• The quality of the technical offer, including completion of all mandatory elements of the application and clarity of the proposal for the publication and adaptation of multimedia packages;
• The quality of the financial offer, which shall not exceed the amount of USD 4,500 for the adaptation and publication of 7 “Georgia Plus” multimedia packages and for production of outlets’ own materials about project activities.

Winners will be designated by the project’s coordinating council based on a points system, as follows:

1. The quality of the technical offer makes 90% of the total value of the application;
2. The quality of the financial offer makes 10% of the total value of the application.

1.1 Technical offer evaluation criteria:

• Professionalism of the contest participant (the outlet (s) have capacity to finalize the project; reputation and proven dedication to the journalistic standards and ethics; clear-cut team roles for the project; evidence that the applicant has sufficient technical abilities and experience to produce successful multimedia packages; demonstrated understanding of the project goals; potential to develop/continue production of multimedia materials after the end of the project – maximum 25 points;
• Quality of portfolio (quality of materials in the portfolio, diversity of materials, previous experience covering topics of major public interest via multimedia tools) – maximum 25 points;
• Quality of the general concept of adapting and publishing multimedia packages (novelty/originality of the proposed concept; diversity of multimedia elements proposed; clarity and coherence of the concept proposed; demonstrated understanding of topics of local interest, well-formulated story ideas) – maximum 40 points.

2.1 Financial offer evaluation criteria:

• Coherence and clarity of description of expenses (maximum 5 points);
• Budget reasonability and efficiency, showing maximum usage of available resources (maximum 5 points).

6. Multimedia Packages Production Schedule

A local multimedia package preparation period will be 4 weeks. The order of production of materials and the deadlines will be determined together with the organizers after winners are announced. The period of production and adaptation of each multimedia package will be up to 2 months. Packages will be published once every two months starting January 2019.

7. Budget

The 10 media outlets will receive grants of USD 4,500 each, which will be provided in installments during the project. A grant will cover, but will not be limited to, production, publication, and salary costs.

8. Application

Interested candidates will complete and submit the application form.

9. Deadline for Submission of Offers

Application form shall be completed in Georgian language by December 17, 2018, at 18.00. Offers shall be emailed in Georgian language to Irina Samkharadze, project coordinator, irina@internews.ge or presented in person at the Internews Georgia office at the following address:11 Andria Apakidze, Tiflis Business Center, Tbilisi.

**Five topics for “Georgia Plus” packages have been suggested by Steering Commission, and five will be established together with project partners from local media after contracts with winners are signed. The topics suggested by the Steering Commission are: corruption, minorities, education, youth affairs, economy.

Annex 1.

Application form

Contest for selection of 10 partners from local media in Georgia

within the project “Strengthening Independent Media in Europe and Eurasia”

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLICANT MEDIA

Name of media

Address of media

Telephone of media

Website of media

Facebook of media

Other active social media (ex. YouTube for TV channels)

Name of chief editor/director

Contacts of the chief editor/director

How many members of the staff do you have

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLICANT COORDINATOR

Name of the person responsible for the project

Mobile telephone of the person responsible for the project

E-mail of the person responsible for the project

Facebook of the person responsible for the project

DETAILS ABOUT MEDIA OUTLET

Type of media

TV

Print

Production studio

Radio

Web-only (online)

Others specify:

Ownership type

•    State
•    Private
•    Others specify:

Geography (area) of distribution / coverage

Presence on the media market

•    1-2 year
•    3-4 year
•    5 year
•    Other (specify):

Target audience of media

Quantitative indicators of your media audience

•    Average monthly visits of website (September – November 2018)
•    Number of Facebook followers (September – November 2018)
•    Circulation (for print media)
•    Rating / share (for television and radio)
•    Other relevant indicators

Do you produce multimedia content?

•    Yes
•    No

What kind of multimedia tools do you use in your media?

Please provide links to the best examples of your media materials (not less than 3)

(examples of multimedia materials will be an advantage)

Which topics are most often covered by your media (top 5)

GENERAL CONCEPTS OF MULTIMEDIA PACKAGES

Topics for national multimedia packages you suggest to cover

(Here you are asked to indicate topics which you consider will be interesting for your audience. These topics will be the grounds of 5 multimedia packages titled “COUNTRY
Plus” which will be prepared by national media partner(s).

•       Topic #1
•       Topic # 2
•       Topic # 3
•      Topic # 4
•       Topic # 5

Ways of publishing and promoting of 10 national multimedia packages

•       Website
•       Social media
•       Print edition
•       Others

Story concepts of local media partners to match local interests and needs

You will be awarded a grant in the amount of 4,500 to publish 10 national multimedia packages adapted to the interests of the community you work and produce 7 local multimedia packages of 3 stories each. The period of production of each local package is 4 weeks, while the period of production and adaptation of each multimedia package by both central and local media will be up to 2 months.

•       “Story pitch 1”

(Brief description of the future material. Please specify which multimedia elements could be used)

•       “Story pitch 2”

(Brief description of the future material. Please specify which multimedia elements could be used)

Please submit a reasonable budget, describing how resources will be spent  

Ways of publishing and promoting your packages

•       Website
•       Social media
•       Print edition
•       Others

Do you agree to promote a cross-border “Neighbors” multimedia packages produced within the project?

Selected local media outlets will be partners for the entire duration of the project, assuming the responsibility to engage in other activities, such as promotion on their own outlets of regionally-produced multimedia packages “Neighbours” (cross-border materials produced by all of the countries participating in the project). Involvement in these activities will be established together with the organizers of the project. Your decision to distribute and promote “Nighbors” multimedia stories will not affect your eligibility to participate in this project.

•       Yes
•       No

TRAINING AND CONSULTING ACTIVITIES

The local partners will also benefit from a series of training and consulting activities, aimed at strengthening reporting, editorial and business practices. Partner outlets will learn how to diversify their content and make it more engaging for the public through multimedia tools training, business training and mentoring.

Do you agree to participate in a series of training and consulting activities?

•       Yes
•       No

Has your media outlet applied to similar Internews projects (please specify)?  

•       Yes; if yes, which project ______________________________________
•       No
•       Applied, but did not pass the selection