The project was presented at a public event in Chișinău on April 30. The event was attended by more than 50 journalists from national and local media, representatives of authorities and international organizations interested in the project activities.

Olena Ponomarenko, DW Akademie project director in Moldova, emphasized the importance of developing the skills of journalists and the public, which is decisive for successful implementation of activities set: "The TRIMEDIA project, over time, will contribute to the consolidation of a secure information ecosystem in the Republic of Moldova by empowering both the media to produce trustworthy information and the people to become responsible media consumers."

From May 2024 to January 2026, API and the DW Academy will conduct a series of training and support activities focusing on the media as a watchdog of democratic change and on open public dialogue between media consumers, local communities and the media. The project is financially supported by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

One of the strands of the project will be a 3D media safety program. This will include in-house psychological, digital and physical security training and programs for journalists and newsrooms. In order to sustainably improve the safety of the media community, newsrooms benefiting from the project will receive security packages, including physical/digital protection. The project will also facilitate the establishment and operation of a hotline for psychological counseling for journalists.

Another component of the project will focus on the production and dissemination of several TV programs addressing media literacy in a creative format, to be produced in partnership with the Teleradio-Moldova Public Broadcaster. At the same time, a series of comic strips on the same topic will be produced and presented in meetings with school students from different regions of the country.

Dialogue between media consumers, local communities and the media will be the main working tool of the Crisis Communication Cells (CCCs) to be set up in Căușeni and Soroca, based on the same format piloted in Ungheni. They will combine training and networking activities with the participation of representatives of local authorities, civil society and the media to produce information materials on current and important issues for the citizens of Căușeni and Soroca.

Local media outlets will also be able to benefit from a sub-grant program to be announced in the fall of 2024. Commenting on the sub-grant program, API Executive Director Petru Macovei said, "We want to support and encourage local media to cover issues of public interest, such as social cohesion, respect for human rights, the situation of minorities or the fight against corruption. That's why we will be offering some small grants to local newsrooms to produce content on these topics. Local communities need to be better informed, and this will help increase our resilience as a society.”

The maximum amount of a grant will be 6,000 euros and the competition will be announced on the API.md website.

TRIMEDIA – Trustworthy Reporting, Impactful Media, Engaged Communities – is a project of DW Akademie in partnership with the Association of Independent Press, supported by the European Union and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).