We spoke with Dajana Cvjetković, regional manager of the SMS Facility project, about why „SMS“ remains the most important message small media send to their communities, what will be considered a victory in 2027, and how Journalift can become a home for all those fighting uphill battles.
When you hear the word „SMS“ today, your first association is probably not media freedom. More likely, it’s a message sent long ago, a reminder of the era before Viber and WhatsApp, a time when every character carried weight and cost.
And yet, precisely that nostalgic acronym adorns one of the most ambitious regional projects supporting small media – the SMS Facility, an initiative worth 1.3 million euros, funded by the European Union and led by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD) with partners from six Western Balkan countries.
Why „SMS“? We asked Dajana Cvjetković, the project’s regional manager, whether there is a deeper symbolism behind the name. Her answer is disarmingly honest and warm.
„Honestly, the name sounded a bit nostalgic to us too at the beginning, but that’s exactly why we liked it. There’s something simple, direct, and important in that abbreviation – like a short message that arrives exactly where it needs to. And that’s precisely what small media do: they send important messages, often quietly, but accurately and on time.“
And indeed, that metaphor captures the heart of the entire project, which will run until November 2027. Amid the noise of large media outlets, political spin, and disinformation, small, local media are the ones sending the most vital, often life-saving signals: that the river is polluted, that a tender has been rigged, that someone’s rights have been trampled, or that someone brave has succeeded in their community.
What will „victory“ look like in 2027?
In the world of project management, success is usually measured in numbers: how many grants were distributed, how much equipment was purchased, how many articles were published. But Dajana Cvjetković has a different, much more human definition of victory.
„For me, the greatest success would be for small media to emerge from this story with a different outlook on their future. For them to not just think about how to survive the next month, but how to build a stable media outlet, a good connection with their community, and smart partnerships that last.“
She adds that numbers, networks, and contacts are also important, but the essence lies elsewhere: „The real victory would be for newsrooms of two or three people to feel that they are not alone, that they have someone to talk to, someone to learn from, and someone to rely on. If, after the project, stronger connections remain – five new contacts in the phone book, more mutual trust, and more courage to plan long-term – I will consider that a great success.“
This is the key message that sets the SMS Facility apart from many similar initiatives. This is not just a transfusion of money and equipment; it is an attempt to build an ecosystem of support in which small media can breathe, grow, and cooperate.
Mentorship tailored to the person, not a template
One of the biggest traps of donor programs is the „universal approach“ – everyone gets the same thing, regardless of whether they actually need it. The SMS Facility team is aware of this, which is why they based their entire support concept on an individual approach.
„This project wasn’t designed as support that offers everyone the same thing, but as support that starts from the real needs of each media outlet,“ explains Cvjetković.
A key tool in this is MOVAT (Media Outlet Vulnerability Assessment Tool), a self-assessment of vulnerability that every media outlet must complete before applying. Based on that, and on what the media outlet itself identifies as its need, the team can offer very concrete assistance.
„For some, it will be support around organizing their work; for others, around new financing models; for others, around audience relations. So yes, it’s possible to get someone who will guide you through the process step by step, but only where there is genuine readiness and need for it.“
This means that a newsroom from a smaller town in Serbia, North Macedonia, or Bosnia and Herzegovina can receive hands-on mentorship while introducing a subscription model, reorganizing operations, or strengthening audience engagement but only if that is what they genuinely need and are ready to commit to.
The regional dimension: Neighbors, interlocutors, collaborators
In many regional initiatives, the “regional dimension” ends up being little more than a formal requirement -making sure every country is represented because the donor expects it. But the SMS Facility team believes there is a deeper logic at play.
„Our countries are different, but the problems of local communities are often very similar. That’s why something created in one place in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be important and understandable to audiences in Serbia, Montenegro, or North Macedonia,“ says Cvjetković.
She emphasizes that the project was not built to impose joint stories or mandatory collaborations on media outlets, but rather to open space for them to occur naturally. The Journalift.org platform was conceived precisely as that space – a place where texts, video content, experiences, and contacts can be exchanged.
„Our desire is for journalists in the region to be not just neighbors to one another, but interlocutors, collaborators, and sources of new angles.“
Why focus on small media? Because they are the most important, and the most invisible
When asked whether they deliberately chose to focus on micro-media and infrastructural support precisely because large programs often bypass small newsrooms, the answer is clear and unequivocal: „Yes, quite deliberately.“
„Small media are often the ones closest to the people, yet also the ones most easily left on the sidelines when support is being distributed. Not because they aren’t important, but because they have small teams, little time, and often too little room to deal with endless rules, forms, and procedures.“
That’s why the SMS Facility team carefully defined who small media are and what conditions they need to meet, in order to include even those who „may not be strong on paper, but are important in their own communities.“
„These small media carry the heaviest burden and do work that is invaluable for the community,“ concludes Cvjetković.
Journalift 2027: The first address when help is needed
What will happen to the Journalift platform in three years, when the project ends? Will it remain just an archive of documents, or will it grow into something more?
„I would love for Journalift to become, in a few years, the first place small media turn to when they need something – from information, advice, contacts, opportunities, support, to the feeling that they are not alone,“ says Cvjetković, with a hint of hope in her voice.
Technically, the platform already has space for content exchange and networking. What still needs to grow is the community around it.
„Such things cannot be ordered; they are built over time and with trust. But I sincerely hope that journalists and media will recognize how useful a place like this can be for them. It would be wonderful if Journalift becomes a place you come to not just for news, but for ideas, help, collaboration, and perhaps exactly that one important contact that can sometimes change a great deal.“
