Sustainability & Media Management Training Programme

Centre for Media Studies at SSE Riga and Journalismfund Europe are offering a Sustainability & Media Management Training Programme to help media leaders strengthen both strategic leadership and business sustainability. It will provide practical tools that can be immediately apply in your media organization.

The programme will select a total of 25 participants and will cover participants’ tuition fees, travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses for three in-person modules in Riga, Latvia.

Thematics 

• The programme combines practical management skills, strategic thinking, and hands-on mentoring to help media outlets become more competitive, financially sustainable, and resilient in a rapidly changing media environment.
• Participants work on real development plans for their own media organisations, learning by doing through case-based lectures, workshops, and peer exchange.
• The program will run from Mid-May 2026 to the late September 2026.

The programme will be comprised of the following modules:

• Module 1: Business Strategy & Crisis Management (May 18 – May 22, in-person at SSE Riga)
• Module 2: Marketing & Media Tech (June 15 – June 19, online)
• Module 3: Finance (July 20 – July 24, in-person at SSE Riga)
• Module 4: Leadership and Networking (September 21 – September 26, in-person at SSE Riga). Last module will be combined with final project presentations for the investor panel.

Eligibility 

The programme targets media outlets (at least 80% based in the EU27), with a particular focus on areas with a low provision of independent, local or regional investigative news, or in media markets where media pluralism is under pressure.

Applicants from EU27 countries are eligible. In addition, applicants from EFTA countries — Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein — may apply. Acceding and candidate countries are also eligible: Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a senior or middle manager of a local or regional Europe-based media outlet
• Work in a media outlet contributing to public interest journalism
• Be in a position to directly apply the knowledge gained in at least one of the following areas:
• Strategy and project management
• Budgeting and financial oversight
• Editorial development
• Marketing and audience engagement

Specifically, the programme prioritises applicants from media outlets that:

• Strengthen media pluralism and editorial independence
• Operate in the local, regional, community, or investigative media sector
• Seek to improve their business sustainability and resilience

How to apply 

To apply, please use this application form. If you have questions in regard to participation, please contact us by writing to artis.dobrovolskis@sseriga.edu. The last date to send applications is April 2, 2026. 

For more information, please visit this page.