Is honesty in self-assessment a virtue or a trap? Where is the red line between „big city“ and „hinterland“? What happens when the EU logo becomes a target? Dajana Cvjetković from the SMS Facility team answers the toughest questions from small newsrooms – without sugarcoating.
Several months have passed since the SMS Facility announced its first open calls for small grants. Deadlines have come and gone, first contracts have been signed, and the first equipment has already arrived in newsrooms across the Western Balkans. But behind the scenes, many questions remain – nagging at those who are only just planning to apply, whether to future calls or those still open.
In a conversation with Dajana Cvjetković, regional manager of the SMS Facility project, we got answers to questions rarely found in official guidelines, yet crucial for the survival of small newsrooms. From how to justify salaries when you are editor, camera operator, and driver all in one, to what to do when the EU logo gets you labelled a „foreign mercenary.“
The million-euro question: How do you justify salaries when you’re everything in one?
The guidelines clearly state that salaries and operational costs are allowed up to 20% of the total budget. For a two-person newsroom where the same person writes articles, maintains the website, administers social media, and drives to the field, this can seem like an impossible equation.
„If you look at this rule from the perspective of a small newsroom, it can indeed seem strict, because we know that in such media outlets one person often does multiple jobs simultaneously. That’s a reality we understand and do not ignore,“ says Cvjetković.
However, she explains that the limitation was not introduced arbitrarily, but is rather a common standard in donor programs. The project is designed primarily to support quality content production and the procurement of equipment or software solutions.
„We would have liked that percentage to be higher, but we believe that this way the impact on small media will be most optimal,“ she adds, leaving no room for false hope, but none for discouragement either.
MOVAT: Is honesty a virtue or a trap?
This is perhaps the most common question that surfaces in conversations with small media editors: „If I honestly write that we have no lawyer, that we depend on a single donor, and that we are subject to pressure – will that disqualify us?“
Dajana Cvjetković‘s answer is unequivocal and encouraging: „No, honest answers in the MOVAT tool will not harm your application. MOVAT is not a tool for ranking suitability; it’s a tool for self-assessment and needs mapping.“
She clarifies that it is perfectly fine for a newsroom to openly state where its weak points are – this does not speak against it, but rather helps the team better understand what kind of support it needs.
„What is most important, however, is that the media outlet demonstrates a clear idea of what it wants to change, develop, or strengthen. So, honesty about the current state is welcome, but what’s decisive is the vision and the planned impact.“
In other words: be brutally honest about where you are now, but show a clear picture of where you want to be.
Where is the red line on the map? What counts as a „big city“?
The calls state that media outlets located outside large urban centers are preferred. This has triggered an avalanche of questions: what about a portal registered in Barajevo or Grocka, which covers exclusively rural topics? Does it have the same chances as a portal from Negotin or Kuršumlija?
„I understand why that question is being asked, but it would be irresponsible to draw some strict ‘red line on the map’ and say ‘up to here, yes, from here, no.’ Such things are not decided on a whim, but solely according to the pre-published criteria in the Guidelines for Applicants,“ answers Cvjetković.
She explains that the evaluation looks at the whole picture: how relevant the project is to the call’s objectives, how well it responds to the real needs of the community, whether the activities are well-designed, whether the budget is sensible, and whether the applicant has the capacity to implement it all.
„It is true that among the criteria it is stated that location outside large cities is valued, and that is an important element. But it is not the only one, nor does it alone determine the outcome.“
What is particularly important for portals from suburban municipalities is the following: „A portal from a suburban municipality that substantively deals with rural or marginal topics can certainly be seriously considered, if its proposal demonstrates quality, relevance, and a genuine connection to the needs of the area it covers.“
Still, Cvjetković is honest about the fact that when you have two equally good media outlets, nuances will be looked at – including geographical representation and the size of the community. „Location can be important in that fine balancing, but it is neither the sole measure nor a shortcut to a decision.“
The EU logo as a double-edged sword: How to survive the „foreign mercenary“ label?
In some communities in Serbia and the region, displaying the EU logo can be grounds for labelling a newsroom as „foreign mercenaries“ or „EU lobbyists.“ This is not just a question of image – it can be a question of security.
„Yes, we took that into account,“ says Cvjetković. „We know that in some communities, displaying EU support can open space for labelling or additional pressure on the newsroom.“
That’s why the guidelines also provide for exceptions, with clear justification, in cases where direct labelling could endanger the media outlet. „In such situations, the SMS Facility team stands ready to work together with the newsroom to find a solution that is both safe and compliant with the rules.“
This is perhaps the most important message of this answer: you will not be left to fend for yourself. If you are in a situation where the EU logo creates a problem for you, there is room for dialogue and adaptation.
And after the grant? What happens when the equipment works, but salaries are still unsustainable?
This is the fundamental question that troubles every newsroom that has ever received project funding. You get a laptop, a camera, software. You produce a great series. Your audience loves you. But a year passes, the grant ends, and you still don’t have a sustainable business model for salaries.
„We are aware that the SMS Facility has limitations, especially when it comes to financial support for the long-term sustainability of newsrooms, particularly in the area of staff salaries,“ admits Cvjetković.
But she also offers a broader framework for thinking: „Equipment can help a great deal – it can facilitate work, raise quality, and take one important worry off the newsroom’s shoulders – but it cannot, on its own, solve the question of a media outlet’s survival.“
That’s why it’s crucial not to view the grant as just one-off assistance, but as an opportunity for the media outlet, through mentoring support and the possibilities offered by Journalift, to also work on its future stability. „Those who seize that will have a greater chance to strengthen their work even after the grant ends.“
And finally, one encouraging thought: „What is encouraging is that small organizations are often the most resilient in the long run. Small media existed before this project, and our role is to help them become even more sustainable in the future. The project is only a means, never the goal.“
Language as a barrier: What if English isn’t your strong suit?
The regional TOI call requires an application in English. For many excellent, experienced journalists from the interior, especially of the older generation, this can be an insurmountable obstacle.
„We understand that English is a real barrier for some great local media,“ says Cvjetković. But she also explains the reasoning behind the decision: „Still, as a regional program, we had to balance between project costs and the money that goes directly to media outlets. Our logic was clear: less administration and our own costs, and more funds for the media themselves.“
This means the narrative part of the application must be in English – there is no exception. But Cvjetković offers a practical piece of advice: „We believe that AI tools today can help with translation, with a mandatory check of the text before submission.“
As for help in formulating ideas, there is no individual approach here either, for reasons of transparency and equal conditions for all. „It’s not a matter of lacking will, but of ensuring that all applicants have the same conditions.“
Bureaucracy vs. reality: Is simpler reporting possible?
This question, as Cvjetković herself says, particularly delighted the team. Because it’s exactly what they thought about a great deal while designing the program.
And the good news is this: for content production grants, the procedure has already been simplified.
„For those grants, we deliberately simplified the procedure and placed the focus on what the media outlet has actually produced. Published content is, for us, the key means of verifying that the activity has been carried out and that the funds served their purpose,“ explains Cvjetković.
The goal was clear: „We wanted journalists to spend as much time as possible doing their job, and as little as possible on paperwork, and that’s why we adapted that part as much as possible to the reality of small newsrooms.“
However, for equipment procurement grants, the situation is different. There, the result is not just that the equipment was bought, but also that it was procured in the correct manner and put into the service of the media outlet’s work. The European Union’s rules are very clear here, so the system of three quotations has been retained.
„That may require a bit more administration, but it’s also important for transparency. Where we could simplify, we already have. And where the rules and the nature of the investment require more caution, we’ve made an effort to maintain a procedure that is clear, fair, and responsible.“
What clearly emerges from Dajana Cvjetković’s answers is that the SMS Facility is not just another donor program in a long line – one that will pass and leave behind a pile of reports and a few laptops on office desks.
This is an attempt to build, systematically, patiently, and with a great deal of sensitivity to the reality of small newsrooms, something that will last beyond 2027. Not through arranged collaborations and mandatory regional projects, but through the creation of space (physical, digital, and mental) in which small media can find one another, learn, strengthen, and, ultimately, stop thinking only about surviving the next month.
And that, we will agree, is a message worth every character. Just like the good old SMS.
