Institute of Journalism Launches E-learning Portal on EU Reporting

Together with renowned universities from all 27 EU countries and other partners, the Institute of Journalism has built the e-learning platform, which is aimed at journalism institutes across Europe as well as editorial offices and journalists seeking further training opportunities. COPE is available in all 21 languages of the European Union and in 27 country-specific versions with individual national content. The platform, whose development was supported by the EU with one million euros, is also specifically designed to help journalism students understand policy-making in Europe and use relevant data and sources.

Professor Susanne Fengler from TU Dortmund University, who leads the consortium, knows that there is a need for this: “In light of the Russian war of aggression, European cooperation is becoming increasingly important. It is therefore regularly demanded that the media in Europe report more and more competently on EU issues. But the prerequisites for this are not always in place: A survey we conducted among around 500 European journalism students from all 27 EU countries showed that over 60 percent of aspiring European journalists lack basic knowledge about the EU.” Another survey by Professor Fengler and her team came to the conclusion that a third of journalism programs in Europe still lack seminars on EU topics. “Competent reporting and a critical public are indispensable prerequisites for functioning democratic institutions of the EU,” says the journalism professor.

“Shining example of European cooperation”

After more than 1,500 European journalism students successfully tested the platform in the first half of 2024, it is now accessible to the public. The starting signal was given on Saturday, 19 October, during the Annual Congress of the Forum for European Journalism Students (FEJS), hosted by the Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism at TU Dortmund University. On the occasion of the launch, EU Commissioner Elisa Ferreira sent a digital greeting to the multinational project team, describing the media project led by TU Dortmund University as a “shining example of European cooperation.”

At the same time, Ferreira emphasized that the future of the EU also depends on independent media, which, with their critical reporting, “illuminate every corner of the European house” – thereby advancing democracy in Europe. “An informed citizen is the best defender of democracy,” Ferreira quoted former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “Your work is more important than ever,” Ferreira directly addressed the 27 European journalism institutes and the European Journalism Training Association (EJTA), which have closely cooperated in the COPE project.

Before the European elections in the spring, the COPE team had already provided a free English-language e-book with learning materials.

For more information about the project

Contact persons for inquiries:

Prof. Susanne Fengler
Institute of Journalism
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Isabella Kurkowski
Institute of Journalism
Send an email