War & Lies: The Human Toll of Disinformation brings together organisations and journalists from three countries to jointly explore the human cost of disinformation and empower journalists to deliver responsible, empathetic and verified reporting in conflict and post-conflict contexts.

The project’s starting point are human stories – real experiences of people affected by disinformation. The aim is to show not only what truth is, but also demonstrate why it matters.

Through collaborative work and mentoring, participants will learn how to combine human-interest storytelling with fact-checking, developing stories that reach audiences and build trust in the media.

• Duration: 2 intensive days
• Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Date: Second week of January 2026
• Number of participants: 10 journalists (4 from BiH, 4 from Ukraine, and 2 from France)
• Working language: English (the training will be conducted entirely in English)

The training will be led by experienced journalists, mentors and educators from all three partner countries, focusing on:

• Techniques of human-interest reporting
• Methodologies of fact-checking in complex societal contexts
• Structuring and telling human-interest stories that empower audiences to recognise disinformation

Participants will have the opportunity to develop their own story ideas during the workshops and receive individual feedback from mentors. They will work on human-interest stories that explore the real experiences of people affected by disinformation in conflict or post-conflict contexts.

As part of their application, participants will be required to submit a Letter of Interest from the media outlet they work for – or, in the case of freelancers, from a media outlet – confirming their willingness to publish the story produced within the program

Participants will:

1. Understand the human and social impact of disinformation – identify how information disorders affect individuals and communities;
2. Understand how to combine fact-checking with empathetic storytelling;
3. Familiarise themselves with key tools and techniques for digital verification – gain hands-on experience in verifying sources, images, videos, and social media content using recognised fact-checking tools;
4. Enhance storytelling and human-interest reporting skills – learn how to turn verified facts into compelling human-centred stories that make the consequences of disinformation visible and relatable;
5. Develop and present their own story concept – design and pitch a story idea related to the human toll of disinformation, receiving direct feedback from mentors and peers.

Following the training, selected participants will take part in a mentorship programme over four months during which, with the support of mentors from partner organisations, they will produce their own human-interest stories on disinformation and its impact on individuals and communities.

Participants will receive a stipend of approximately €600 gross for story production, while the project will cover up to €900 gross for travel costs, accommodation, and the production of visual elements.

Travel, accommodation and meals during the stay in Sarajevo will be covered by the organisers.
There is no participation fee.

Applications are open to journalists who:

• Live and work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, or Ukraine;
• Have at least one year of professional journalistic experience (print, online, TV, radio, or multimedia);
• Show interest in topics of disinformation, human rights, the societal impact of media, and/or work in conflict or post-conflict contexts;
• Have excellent command of English (written and spoken) – mandatory, as the training will be conducted in English;
• Commit to active participation during the full training and subsequent mentorship programme.

• CV (up to 2 pages)
• Motivation letter (up to 500 words) – explaining why you want to participate and how this topics fits your plans for your future work, including story idea you wish to develop during the programme
• One example of published journalistic work in the original language (link or PDF)
• A Letter of Interest from a media outlet confirming willingness to publish the story produced within the programme.

Priority will be given to candidates who:

• Have previously researched or reported on disinformation, conflict, human rights, youth issues, and/or gender equality;
• Show motivation for international collaboration and long-term professional development;
• Have a clear idea on ways they will benefit from this training in their future work.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an online interview as part of the final selection process.

Applications should be sent with the required documents to: prijave@media.ba
(with subject line: “Application – War & Lies: The Human Toll of Disinformation ”)

For further information please contact:
tarik.mocevic@media.ba

The training is organised within the project War & Lies: The Human Toll of Disinformation, part of the initiative Jumelage entre initiatives francophones de lutte contre les désordres de l’information.