Since 2020, Fondation Hirondelle has been implementing the media component of the PACT (Participation Active des Citoyennes et Citoyens Tunisiens) programme, in consortium with the Danish organisation NIRAS. The aim of the project is to expand civic space and encourage dialogue between governments and citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, so that public action can be genuinely co-constructed in the high steppes region (governorates of Gafsa, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kef, Sidi Bouzid and Siliana).
Phase 2 of the project started in May 2023.
Fondation Hirondelle is pursuing its commitment by continuing to support local media as players in good governance and sustainable development at local level.
Map of the regions covered by the second phase of the PACT project.
Opening up public space and encouraging dialogue
Tunisia is currently going through a phase of political and institutional reconfiguration. Fifteen years after the revolution, the media landscape is evolving within a context of power recentralization and a redefinition of democratic balances. In this increasingly restrictive environment for the practice of journalism, media professionals face multiple challenges: legal pressures, the economic fragilization of media outlets, and the growing spread of disinformation, particularly on digital platforms. In this context, strengthening journalists’ skills, ethics, and resilience remains essential to ensure a credible, pluralistic information space that serves the public interest.
Faced with this reality, Fondation Hirondelle has supported the creation of a network of 19 journalists, almost 80% of whom are women, with an average age of between 25 and 35. This network, trained and coached in local governance issues, represented 14 local and regional media. The network of journalists and media partners is being expanded, with a target of 20 to 25 new media by the end of 2024, including web radio stations, citizen journalists and bloggers.In 2025, Fondation Hirondelle continued its commitment by supporting 16 partner media outlets through a mechanism combining training, editorial coaching, and technical assistance.
In total, 42 journalists were trained, including 13 citizen journalists, helping to broaden media participation and strengthen the local anchoring of information. The training programmes incorporated new areas addressing emerging needs in the sector: diction, artificial intelligence applied to journalism, press ethics in a sensitive context, strategic communication, as well as in-house training dedicated to producing debate programmes and providing technical assistance.
In 2025, 148 media contents—123 video reports and 25 radio debates—were produced, totaling 33 hours of broadcasting on FM and online. Focused on local governance and inclusion, they contributed to public debate, including 6 reports broadcast in sign language to ensure more inclusive access to information.
The journalistic content was disseminated by the network’s media, on their airwaves and online platforms, as well as on a dedicated Facebook page, which gave them greater visibility.
The PACT program also aims to build the capacities of communities, to improve their ability to communicate on their issues, and of the network’s media, in terms of conducting debates, mobile journalism and investigative journalism. To find out more about our operations in Tunisia, visit our dedicated page.