content:
MIM with a new project through EU’s EIDHR – Human rights in the focus of cooperation between the media and the civil society
PAGE 1
MIM and AJM in consultations with the media community on forming a multipartite Council of Ethics
Managers and owners on a conference on challenges and perspectives of the media market
PAGE 2
PAGE 2
September – December 2012
ХII, NO 36
Newsletter New project of MIM through the EU’s Instrument for Democracy and human Rights
Human Rights in the focus of the cooperation between the media and the civil society
I
n December 2012, MIM officially signed the contract for starting the activities of the project “Strengthening of the cooperation between the media and the civil society organizations for promotion of human rights and freedom of expression”, which is funded by the European Union through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). The project will be realized during 2013, in cooperation with the Center for Independent Journalism from Bucharest, Romania. The aim of the project is to strengthen the influence of the civil sector through devoting more space for their activities in the media, but also to encourage the media to promote freedom of expression through professional reporting on human rights. Through the activities, media and CSOs working in the field of human rights will have the possibility to collaborate and build effective relationships to promote human rights and freedom of expression. Civil society organizations and the media will be offered the opportunity to be part of several activities, including research on the attitudes and problems in communication with each other, participate in several interactive events, as well as the joint development of a White Book on the priorities, needs and forms of effective cooperation for promotion of human rights. On this topic, educational and informational resources and content will be created, and professional journalistic research on human rights will be supported. MIM has already announced a call to CSOs interested in being included in the project. -1-
CONTENT Editor’s Forum – What are the challenges for today’s newsrooms? → Web platform “AKTIV” goes public → Media visit high school pupils – filmmakers from “Arseni Jovkov” high-school → Trainings for planning effective interactive public presentations held in 4 municipalities→ Editors and representatives of Macedonian media institutions on a study visit to Slovenia→ The regional portal “Tocak” promoted in Skopje→ Competitions and scholarships for journalists:
• European award “Jean Monnet” → • European Press Prize for 2012 → • “Reagan – Fascell” Democracy Fellows Program →
Initiative of AJM and MIM to support the self-regulation
CONSULTATION WITH THE MEDIA COMMUNITY FOR ESTABLISHING A COUNCIL OF ETHICS
M
edia self-regulation and establishing of a Council of Ethics are topics of a several roundtables and consultative meetings with editors and media owners, some of which have already been held in several cities around the country. The meetings take place within the project “Support of the process for establishing the Council of Ethics in the media in Macedonia,” which will be implemented by AJM and MIM until the end of March 2013. Through this project, internal working procedures of the Council will be developed, media monitoring of 10 media news programs will be conducted, and also the experiences from self-regulatory mechanisms in
the region will be discussed. The aim of this effort is to raise the awareness in the media community for the importance of self-regulation and to create conditions for establishing a Council of Ethics, where members will be journalists, editors, owners and the representatives of the public. This body should look after respecting of professional standards in media and protection of the public from possible abuses
Conference “The challenges and perspectives of media market in Macedonia”
from journalists. The project is funded by the British Embassy in Skopje. Read more
New Internet space dedicated to civic activism
AFTER A LONG TIME, MEDIA OWNERS WEB PLATFORM “AKTIV” GOES AND MENAGERS DEBATED JOINTLY PUBLIC ABOUT THE MEDIA BUSSINESS
F
orty managers and owners of most of the leading national and local broadcast and print media in the country, for the first time after many years, sat down together to discuss the situation in the media business. At the conference “Macedonian media market - trends and perspectives”, organized by MIM December 6, 2012, the participants discussed on the challenges and development strategies, as well as on creating conditions for a more successful development of the media market in Macedonia. At this meeting also participated owners and managers of successful media businesses from the region - Matija Babic, owner of the popular Croatian portal Index, and executives Ivan Lovrechek from RTL Croatia and Tomaz Drozg from the Slovenian Adria Group, who their offered experience and thoughts on the topic in a regional and global context. Representatives of the Broadcasting Council, Independent Union of Journalists and media experts also participated actively in the discussion.
I
n September 2012, MIM launched officially the online platform for civic activism in the field of human and minority rights - “AKTIV” (www.aktiv.org.mk ). Read more Previously, in July and September, the team of AKTIV conducted two workshops on using online platforms for civic activism. Fourteen representatives of civil society organizations from the country and activists – individuals, who act in the field of human rights, participated in the workshops. During these workshops, participants created multimedia stories which relate to problems of vulnerable groups of citizens. These stories, and other content on activism and human rights, can be found on the web platform aktiv.org.mk. Read more
-2-
Forum for strengthening the capacities and improving the position of editors in the media in Macedonia
THE EDITORS DISCUSSED CURRENT CHALLENGES IN THE NEWSROOMS
W
ithin the two-day forum, held on 16 and 17 October 2012, over fifty editors of national and local media in the country debated on several topics related to the responsibilities, competencies and editors’ role in the newsroom in the context of modern social, political and economic environment. During the interactive sessions, which were moderated and introduced by the prominent and experienced journalists, participants discussed about the key questions – Is there independent journalism? Which knowledge and skills should editors have? How to manage news in a creative and effective way? How to use the advantages of digital devices, web platforms and social media?
USAID’s Interethnic Integration in Education Project
MEDIA REPORTED ON THE JOINT SUCCESS OF PUPILS FILMMAKERS FROM THE “ARSENI JOVKOV” HIGH SCHOOL
A
t the beginning of December 2012, MIM organized a study visit for journalists from several national media to the high school “Arseni Jovkov”. The purpose of the visit was to familiarize the wider public with the success story of cooperation between students from different ethnic communities in this school. Namely, through the creative workshops, organized within the USAID project, the students produced several short films, through which they promoting equality, inclusiveness and cooperation between those that are different. Several prominent national media, including “TV Kanal 5”, “Alfa TV”, Radio Free Europe in Macedonian and Albanian language, newspaper “Nova Makedonija”, and Roma newsroom at the public broadcast service MTV, took part in the study visit and reported on the success of the pupils.
DIRECTORS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATIVES LEARNED PRESENTATION SKILLS FOR BETTER INTERETHNIC INTEGRATION
D
uring November, MIM conducted four workshops for planning effective interactive public presentations in the context of interethnic integration. Representatives from municipal administration, Bureau for Development of Education, schools and parent councils participated in the workshops, which took place in Bitola, Tetovo, Strumica and Butel municipality. The workshops included lectures and practical exercises on planning brief statements for a specific target audience, structuring effective presentations, as well as recognizing and avoiding stereotypes, prejudices and hate speech. The workshops are part of the activities that MIM implements within the USAID Interethnic Integration in Education Project.
-3-
EDITORS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF MEDIA INSTITUTIONS OBTAIN USEFUL EXPERIENCES FROM THE STUDY VISIT TO SLOVENIA
E
ditors-in-chief of the several influential media in the country, as well as representatives of institutions from the media sphere, participated in a two-day study visit to Slovenia. The study visit, which was organized by MIM at the beginning of November 2012, provided the participants with first-hand, direct insight of the media environment in Slovenia, and an opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues from the influential media outlets, as well as with representatives of the competent institutions in the media field. Read more
Regional project “Enhancing Roma Visibility”
REGIONAL WEB PORTAL “TOCAK” PROMOTED IN SKOPJE
A
t the promotion event held in Skopje on 26 September, the Macedonian Institute for Media, together with the partner organizations in the project “Enhancing Roma Visibility”, introduced the regional web portal “Tocak” (www.tocak.org) to the general public in the region. The web portal “Tocak” is an information media dedicated to reporting on important topics for Roma in the Balkans.
Phone: 30 90 144, fax: 30 90 104 Address: Jurij Gagarin 17-1/1 1000 Skopje, Маcedonia www.mim.org.mk
The event brought a lot of interesting moments and fun, essentially inspired by the presenter of the event, Ramus Muarem – Cirko, and regional music stars “Sutka Roma Rap”. The whole event was broadcasted live in Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina through online streaming at www.tocak.org and on several other Internet pages. Read more