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The ‘Youth News Europe’ at Nato Headquarters

The ‘Youth News Europe’ initiative

The ‘Youth News Europe’ initiative is the start of a special movement informing, inspiring and activating young Europeans. It amplifies youth voices across Europe and informs and connects young audiences with high-quality, fact-checked content on issues of pan-European relevance. The initiative will deliver a range of tangible outputs, including the launch of a multilingual online platform, TheYouth.org, to serve as the central hub for youth-produced content, and the production of several daily video news reports and posts throughout the twelve-month content phase. In addition, weekly special segments, comprising in-depth reports, reaction pieces, and explanatory videos, will be produced, along with weekly educational lesson packages available in five or more languages.

The Youth News Foundation (YNF) exhibits their unique knowledge, network and experience
in youth and journalism and joins forces with seven expert organisations and their partners all over Europe. For this initiative YNF has partnered with Eurochild Brussels, Comhairle na nóg Ireland, Cyprus Children Parliament, Federal Organisation of Children NGO’s Romania (FONPC), Plataforma de Infancia Spain, the Youth News Exchange of the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva and the education specialists of LessonUp.

The extensive distribution network, which includes partner organisations, major social media platforms, and the EBU Youth News Exchange, is expected to generate an estimated ten-thousand posts per year, ensuring wide visibility and impact. Unique to this initiative, the Youth News Foundation and its partners integrate trained youth correspondents age 10 – 14. They will report on current affairs, share their insights and ask their questions to several political leaders, under professional supervision. This initiative will stimulate democratic engagement, and provide young people with the tools necessary to become active citizens in shaping their societies.

Formats will vary from extensive professional video reports, interviews by children, in depth explanation video’s and reports in which children react on current affairs, all targeting the age group 8-18.

The Youth News Europe initiative will:

Inform, inspire and activate young Europeans
Create a platform with reports, information and interaction
Create a network of organisations and journalists to connect with young
Europeans and make their voices heard
Create and publish 100+ reports, involving the same amount of children by letting them tell their stories, ask their questions and share their insights
Train and activate a unique team of child reporters and Youth Correspondents in every partner country
Have our reports and content shared and published by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and other media
Involve European and local leaders and politicians in our reports and other content
Create educational material based on our reports, shared with thousands of schools, even more teachers and children themselves

Activities:

Over a fourteen-month period, the Youth News Europe initiative will start with a two-month intensive training phase, during which fifteen youth correspondents (three per partner country) will acquire essential journalistic skills. The subsequent twelve-month content production phase will see these reporters, together with a team of professional journalists and producers, creating daily video news reports along with weekly special segments that provide in-depth analyses, reaction pieces, and explanatory content. In addition, weekly educational lesson packages will be developed in multiple languages to support classroom discussions and pro- mote media literacy. All content will be disseminated through a multilingual online platform, partner organisations, major social media channels, the European Broadcasting Union’s Youth News Exchange and several education organisations.

The initiative primarily targets young people aged 8–18 across five partner countries; Cyprus, Ireland, Romania, Spain and The Netherlands, with an expected annual reach of at least two million young Europeans. The fifteen trained youth correspondents will gain valuable skills in journalism and critical thinking, while partner organisations such as schools and youth net- works will benefit from access to engaging, high-quality educational content that supports their efforts to promote informed civic participation.

Impact and results:

The expected results and impact of the Youth News Europe Initiative are both immediate and long term, contributing to a broader cultural and democratic shift. In short term we will create a steady flow of high-quality, thought-provoking content on a daily basis, We will stimulate significant media attention and public engagement through interactive platforms and utilise continuous measurement of viewer engagement, via daily tracking of posts, comments, and reactions, to make adjustments as necessary. In long term we empower a generation of informed, engaged European citizens. We also establish a scalable, sustainable model for youth-driven journalism across Europe. Our initiative enhances cross-border dialogue and cultural exchange by showcasing diverse perspectives. Greater democratic engagement is fostered as young people participate in forming political opinions and decision-making processes. The initiative will deliver a range of tangible outputs, including the launch of a multilingual online platform (TheYouth.org) to serve as the central hub for youth-produced content, and the production of several daily video news reports and posts throughout the twelve-month content phase. In addition, weekly special segments, comprising in-depth reports, reaction pieces, and explanatory videos, will be produced, along with weekly educational lesson packages available in five or more languages. The extensive distribution network, which includes partner organisations, major social media platforms, and the EBU Youth News Exchange, is expected to generate an estimated ten-thousand posts per year, ensuring wide visibility and impact.

The Youth News Europe is anticipated to significantly boost media literacy and critical thinking among European youth, leading to a more engaged and informed generation. By actively involving young people in the creation and distribution of news, the initiative will empower them to participate in public debates and influence policymaking processes. Ultimately, this will contribute to a stronger, pan-European youth community that is well-equipped to drive positive societal change.

This Brussels subsidy is not merely an additional funding source, it is a strategic enabler that amplifies the initiative’s impact, ensuring we effectively engage key target groups and deliver a transformative pan-European media initiative. This subsidy is integral to our vision of creating an informed, engaged, and dynamic European public sphere, and its inclusion is fundamental to the overall success and longevity of the initiative.

The foundation

The Board

Financial reports

YNF Handbook and Ethics

ANBI Status

The Youth News Foundation has applied for ANBI status from the tax authorities and it has been granted.

Our ANBI status includes:

– We are at least 90% committed to the common good;
– We are not for profit with our activities and services;
– We meet integrity requirements;
– Natural or legal persons do not have the assets of the organization;
– We do not hold more assets than is reasonably necessary for the work of the organization;
– The remuneration for the board is limited to an expense allowance;
– We have an up-to-date policy plan;
– There is a reasonable ratio between costs and expenditure;
– Money that remains after the institution has been closed will be spent on an ANBI with a similar purpose;
– We comply with administrative obligations and publish certain information on this website.