Become a CJ Superhero
Join the International Citizen Journalism Competition and tell the story that matters to your community. Whether you create independently or with AI, your voice deserves to be heard.
Read the rules in your language
Choose your preferred language and open the full competition regulations before preparing your submission.
Your community. Your story. Your voice.
Citizen journalism gives people the opportunity to highlight local stories, community concerns and perspectives that are often missing from traditional media.
Tell meaningful stories
Explore an issue that matters to your local community.
No experience required
The competition is open to adults aged 18 and over.
Choose your format
Create a written, video, podcast or audio story.
Learn in Spain
Selected winners will join an international training activity.
Two ways to create your story
Two winners will be selected from each category in every participating country.
Traditional journalism
Create your material independently without using artificial intelligence tools.
AI-assisted journalism
Use AI responsibly as part of your research, writing, visual, audio or video production process.
Choose the format that tells your story best
Entries must be created and submitted in the national language of the participant’s country.
Text
An article, report, interview or essay of preferably 500–1,500 words.
Video
A video report, documentary or mobile journalism story of up to 5 minutes.
Audio
A podcast episode or audio report with a maximum duration of 10 minutes.
Win a training experience in Spain
Four winners from each participating country will be invited to the international CJ Superheroes training activity in Spain.
Four steps to join the competition
Prepare and submit your story by 30 September 2026. National juries will evaluate the eligible entries and announce the winners in October 2026.
Read the rules
Review the competition categories, accepted formats, evaluation criteria and ethical conditions.
Create your story
Choose an important community topic and prepare your written, video or audio material.
Results in October
National juries will assess all eligible entries and announce the selected winners in October 2026.
How your story will be assessed
Every entry can receive up to 100 points. Sixty points come from common journalistic criteria and forty points depend on the selected category.
Public importance
Relevance, community value and originality.
Ethics and objectivity
Impartiality, dignity and distinction between facts and opinions.
Structure and impact
Clear organisation, presentation and accessible language.
Traditional journalism
AI-assisted journalism
CJ Superheroes
CJ Superheroes is an Erasmus+ co-funded project that strengthens the capacity of NGOs, community workers and adult education providers to teach responsible citizen journalism.
The project supports adult learners in developing media literacy, critical thinking and content creation skills.
Before you submit
Who can participate?
Adults aged 18 and over from Germany, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania and Spain.
Do I need journalism experience?
No professional journalism experience is required.
Can I use artificial intelligence?
Yes, in the AI-assisted category. A completed Prompt Log and transparent fact-checking are required.
What language should I use?
Submit your entry in the national language of your participating country.
How many winners will be selected?
Four winners per country: two from each competition category.
What happens if I win?
Winners join an international citizen journalism training activity in Spain.
Send us your story
Submit your entry by 30 September 2026 or contact us with questions about the competition.
cjsuperheroespr@gmail.com