Programul de Mentoring în Jurnalism al Forumului Rațiu pentru 2025
Mentoring program
- Language: Romanian
- Category: Journalism, Media, Professional Development, Journalism Training
- Mentees: Under 26 years of age at the time of application and with no more than two years of experience in a newsroom. Applicants from Romania and the surrounding region (Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, Ukraine).
- Mentors: Experienced European journalists. Detailed biographies of the mentors involved in the program are provided in the source material (e.g. Alison Mutler, Diana Oncioiu, Dan Perry, Adam Reichardt, Emilia Șercan, Nick Thorpe, Ovidiu Vanghele, Luiza Vasiliu).
- Program page: https://ratiuforum.com/mentorship-2025/
Objective and Funding
The 2025 Journalism Mentoring Program of the Rațiu Forum is a strategic initiative aimed at cultivating exceptional reporting skills among early-career journalists from Romania and the extended region, including Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Ukraine. This objective is achieved through personalized guidance sessions and strategic mentoring. The fundamental goal of the program is to support the creation of high-quality journalistic content and facilitate its publication in renowned media institutions. Funding for this initiative is provided by the Rațiu Family Charitable Foundation and the Karen Renée Lane Endowment Fund, established within the Rațiu Forum.
Program Structure and Benefits
Selected candidates in the program have the opportunity to present their reporting ideas to a panel of experienced European journalists. They receive personalized feedback to refine their proposals, which they then incorporate into their research. Participants operate within a structured professional framework. This intensive and practical experience combines expert guidance, skill development, and real-world application, designed to help participants launch successful careers in journalism.
- Individual mentoring sessions with experienced journalists
- Pitching events
- Workshops
- Professional networking opportunities
- Hands-on learning
- Publication opportunities
Participant Commitments and Program Completion
For the 2025 program, applications were received from Romania and Moldova, and 16 participants were selected. Each selected participant was required to formally accept the terms and conditions of the program. Successful participants were also obligated to:
- Propose an original reporting idea and improve it based on received feedback.
- Participate in all scheduled workshops during the launch meeting at the Rațiu Center for Democracy in Turda, Romania.
- Engage actively and responsibly in individual mentoring sessions.
- Conduct rigorous fieldwork over six months under the guidance of mentors.
- Produce a well-documented original report.
The program concludes with the submission and evaluation of participants' reports. Only mentors who fulfill all program requirements and submit their final work will receive a certificate of completion.
History and Outcomes
Over the first four years of the program, 45 aspiring journalists from Romania participated, benefiting from the guidance of professional mentors from the region. Each year, an article competition was held, and the winner was awarded a place at international journalism summer schools in London. The results of the 2025 Competition were announced, congratulating all mentors and mentees for their dedication and high-quality articles. The article also mentions detailed biographies of the involved mentors and lists of current and former mentors.
2025 Program Calendar
- Call for applications: September 16 – October 28, 2024
- Candidate selection: October 28 – November 18, 2024
- Announcement of results: November 25, 2024
- Launch meeting in Turda: Date TBC January 2025
- Mentoring sessions and fieldwork: January – May 2025
- Status update meeting (Zoom): Date TBC April 2025
- Article project submission: May 12, 2025
- Feedback from mentors: May 23, 2025
- Final submissions: June 2, 2025
- Announcement of final results: June 27, 2025
Hi, my name is Tomek, I am the co-founder of Mentiway. If you are interested in how to efficiently and effectively implement a mentoring program in your organization using technology:
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