Duration of the assignment	10-12 weeks
Type of contract/partnership	Short-term consultancy (external)
Comissioner	RNW Media
RNW Media Focal Point	Hounaz Beheshti, Advocacy Manager
About this Consultancy	RNW Media is seeking a consultant to lead a research project examining the structural conditions that enable public interest media to counter disinformation through narrative shift, with a focus on Georgia, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine.
Language	English
Budget	€1,500-2,000 (inclusive) The remuneration, payment schedule and conditions will be discussed and agreed with the selected consultant.

INTRODUCTION 

RNW Media is an international media development organisation headquartered in the Netherlands. We accelerate the power of public interest digital media and civic actors to inform, inspire and engage audiences, challenge harmful narratives and create spaces for inclusive dialogue. This can shift knowledge, attitudes and behaviours, influence social norms, strengthen civic participation, social cohesion and accountability, and support evidence-based advocacy for policy change. In doing so, we uphold the right of every individual to access information and express themselves freely and reinforce the essential role of public interest media in open and democratic societies. 

We work across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia, with a focus on Southeast Asia and China. 

Vision: We believe in the transformative power of digital media to contribute to open societies. 

Mission: We accelerate locally relevant public interest digital media to inform, inspire and engage audiences, shift narratives and create spaces for inclusive dialogue. 

Background 

Disinformation in Eastern Europe shapes elections, democratic dialogue and civic trust. Its effects on democratic discourse remain under-theorised from the perspective of media practitioners. Most existing research focuses on the sources and mechanics of disinformation production, rather than on how public interest media respond to it. 

RNW Media’s censorship portfolio frames disinformation as a form of inverse censorship: rather than suppressing information, it floods the information space with noise, achieving a comparable effect of limiting citizens’ access to reliable, plural information. The portfolio’s concept of semantic resilience describes the capacity of societies to resist manipulation through sustained exposure to credible, community-rooted narratives, and positions RNW Media’s Narrative Shift Framework as a more durable structural response to disinformation than content restriction or platform bans. 

This research will serve to ground that argument in the Eastern European context, drawing on RNW Media’s existing evidence base from West Africa and situating it within the broader global information landscape. 

Purpose and objectives 

The consultant will produce a research-based positioning paper examining the structural conditions that enable or constrain media-led narrative shift responses to disinformation in Eastern Europe. 

The research serves three functions for RNW Media: 

1. Builds the external evidence base for RNW Media’s positioning on narrative shift as an alternative to censorship 

2. Grounds Pillar 4 of the censorship portfolio (disinformation as inverse censorship) in a specific regional context with named examples 

3. Functions as a proof of concept for a larger comparative research programme and a credible foundation for future funding 
    

Geographic and thematic scope 

Geographic focus: Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Ukraine 

Thematic focus: What structural conditions (funding, platform access, audience trust) are needed for media to make narrative shift possible in Eastern Europe?  

Secondary question: What current responses already exist within the context of the focus countries? 

Research questions 

1. How are public interest media outlets in Georgia, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine currently responding to disinformation and hybrid threats? 

2. What structural conditions (financial sustainability, audience trust, editorial capacity) enable or constrain timely, effective counter-narrative work? 

3. What does semantic resilience look like in Eastern Europe, and what evidence exists that narrative shift approaches are effective? 

4. What are the implications for RNW Media’s programme design and policy advocacy, and which advocacy initiatives are most needed? 

METHODOLOGY 

Given the budget constraints, the research combines: 

• Desk research: review of existing literature on disinformation, media viability and counter-narrative practice in Eastern Europe, including EEAS FIMI reports, UNESCO publications, and RNW Media’s own research as a primary evidence anchor. 

• Expert interviews: 3–5 interviews with practitioners (editors, journalists, media development professionals) working in the region. 

• Case studies: 2–3 country-level case studies within the named countries, selected to illustrate different disinformation and media viability dynamics (for example: electoral disinformation, FIMI campaigns, state-driven media support or capture). 

• Analytical synthesis: original analysis connecting the empirical material to RNW Media’s conceptual framework (Censorship Portfolio, Narrative Shift Framework, Media Viability Approach). 

General guidance 

The research will be conducted in three phases: 

Phase I: Inception & Desk Research 

• Pre-analysis and alignment on focus, particularly which countries will form the full case studies 

• Literature review of existing disinformation, media viability and counter-narrative practice research 

• Identification of relevant practitioners for expert interviews 

Phase II: Expert Interviews 

• Remote qualitative interviews with editors, journalists and media development professionals across the selected countries 

• Interview notes and source material organised for synthesis 

Phase III: Analysis & Drafting 

• Triangulation of interview material with desk research 

• Drafting of the full paper against RNW Media’s conceptual framework 

• Review and validation with RNW Media before finalisation 

The Consultant and RNW Media will begin with an inception meeting, at which draft research questions and relevant resources will be shared. Following this, the consultant will confirm the selection of research questions, case-study countries and methodology, and share a brief inception note with a work plan and timeline. A validation meeting will take place after drafting, to review preliminary findings before the paper is finalised. Regular check-ins (weekly or bi-weekly, to be agreed) will take place throughout. 

The consultant is end-responsible for the research, including preparing the inception note, conducting or coordinating expert interviews, and delivering the final paper.  

The consultant is expected to communicate regularly with RNW Media and to meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis (to be agreed) during the research period. 

DELIVERABLES 

• Inception note: confirming research questions, selected case-study countries, methodology and work plan. 

• Interview material: notes/transcripts from expert interviews, organised for reference. 

• First draft: full paper (4,000–6,000 words) submitted to RNW Media for review. 

• Validation session: brief session presenting findings to RNW Media ahead of finalisation. 

• Final paper: publication-ready paper structured as: introduction and argument; disinformation in Eastern Europe (landscape and trends); structural enablers and constraints (narrative shift in practice); implications for policy and programme design; conclusion. 

• Optional secondary output: shorter advocacy version (op-ed or briefing note), if agreed with RNW Media. 

TIMELINE 

Activity	Timeline (approx.)
Call for Consultant – Application open	Week 0
Recruitment and onboarding	Week 1
Inception meeting and inception note	Weeks 1–2
Desk research and expert interviews	Weeks 3–7
First draft submitted to RNW Media	Week 8–10
Validation session	Week 10–11
Final paper submitted	Week 11–12

Exact dates will be confirmed following the inception note. 

REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE 

• Familiarity with the media and political context of Georgia, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine 

• Background in media development, information integrity or media viability (advantageous) 

• Existing networks in the region that can facilitate expert interview access (advantageous) 

• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to write for both external publication and advocacy use 

• Fluency in English 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

The consultancy is open to all qualified consultants. The consultant manages the entire process (research protocol, interview planning, work schedule, etc.) remotely from a home/work base. RNW Media is not able to support travel for this consultancy. All expert interviews will be conducted remotely by the consultant, or by RNW Media where language or access considerations require it.  

Interested candidates should submit a proposal in English including: 

• Description and contact details of the consultant applying 

• A brief description of the matching qualities/relevant experience, proposed methodological approach (max. 1 page) 

• A financial offer within the stated budget, with an indicative breakdown 

Interested candidates should send their applications to hounaz.beheshti@rnw.org titled as ‘Research Project Narrative Shifts Eastern Europe’. 

RNW Media is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.