NARA

Description

NARA is a Lithuanian journalism collective that describes itself as a space for responsible journalism examining essential processes in society. It is made up of journalists and media professionals. Their work is grounded in respect for people, in-depth immersion in a topic and professional ethics.

The project began in 2015 under the name Nanook. It grew from a two-person duo into a community of dozens of contributors whose work has won awards in Lithuania and internationally. In 2017 the team launched the first professional Lithuanian podcast, Nyla, now continued under the NARA name. It operates under the organization VsI Dokumedija and is based in Vilnius.

NARA produces investigative articles, essays, photo stories, video documentaries and podcasts. Its topics include war in Ukraine, migration and border policy, identity, minority communities, and threats to democracy. It also trains young people in journalism.

This includes a paid young journalists internship programme, placing participants with partner newsrooms across Central and Eastern Europe under the EU-funded Perspectives project. It also runs a journalism camp for young creators and school-based journalism training, such as a programme for students in Visaginas. Projects are coordinated with partners including Goethe-Institut. They are funded by sources such as the European Union, the Media Support Fund, the British Council, the US Embassy and the German Embassy in Vilnius, as well as reader donations, a portion of Lithuanian income tax that residents can allocate to it, and paid membership tiers.

The organisation’s investigative work has received recognition including an award from the Lithuanian Sociological Association, nominations at the Prix Europa competition, and a runner-up placement at the European Press Prize, among other Lithuanian and international journalism awards.