Activity Details (ID# 4613)

Activity Synopsis

The workshop was designed to increase awareness of the problems and possibilities facing editors, journalists and producers of TV stations, all of whom are members of CIRCOM REGONAL, in dealing with ethnic minorities.

The problems debated included racism, religious sensitivities, even the vocabulary used in news magazines and general programmes, in order to minimise the distrust of minorities.

The possibilities included enriching each national heritage through programmes reflecting the mosaic of minority cultures, as well as greater diversity of programming which results from giving ethnic minorities a higher profile.

As the first workshop of its kind for CIRCOM REGIONAL, it was important to decide whether to cater for young journalists by including written exercises, or to cater for journalists who were of a seniority sufficient to absorb new ways of confronting the continual problems facing ethnic minorities. It was decided to prepare for the second category, by comparing case studies in European countries as culturally different as Northern Ireland and Eastern and Central Europe on the one hand, while on the other, inviting a variety of speakers knowledgeable in the latest thinking on ethnic minorities.
 

The quality of the speakers - ten in all during the week - was very high and only one person fell short of the required standard in one seminar.

The speakers' differing points of views raised one major debating point, namely the extent to which broadcasters should concentrate on increasing programme content featuring ethnic minorities to the minorities themselves, or targetting the widest possible audience in order to confront major audiences with the problems and possibilities referred to in the objectives. It was concluded that while both target audiences was the ideal solution, each TV company had to follow its own management priorities.

The speakers were all highly experienced and knowledgeable in their field and used a variety of methods - power point presentations, video presentations, and debate - to make their points.

Further media coverage of ethnic minorities is to be expected following this workshop. The EBU's intercultural programme through City Folk co-productions can expect to receive inputs from at least some of the TV companies present. Furthermore, most participants were keen to make more productions either for their existing majority audiences or for the minorities themselves. The Czech TV participants will increase its media coverage this Autumn.

The target group was unquestionably reached. The feedback was positive, even from the weakest participant according to a verbal report from Tirana. Unfortunately, key participants had to travel before a formal feedback session was possible, but there was no negative feedback whatsoever, and those who left early no doubt about their appreciation for the week's varied schedule. The most experienced participant - from Macedonian TV - confessed to having started the week with a degree of arrogance and scepticism as to what, if anything, he could learn from it. He ended the week with much praise for the number of fruitful ideas which had been exchanged.
 

Several participants announced their intention of increasing the output reflecting ethnic minorities on their stations. Some also declared that they would contribute to City Folk co-productions.

It is planned to follow-up this workshop by e-mailing all participants to see what increased media coverage is being achieved. This will be carried out six months after the conclusion of the workshop, at the beginning of November 2003.

The organisers firmly believe there is a need for more courses of this nature and are grateful to the Council of Europe for funding this workshop.

 

All 17 participants were journalists, editors or heads of unit responsible for ethnic minorities in their respective countries. The three Czech participants who attended the course for the first four days were particularly significant since they were mandated by Czech TV to develop new ideas for programmes on ethnic minorities.

The best individual contribution came from ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'' TV's participant who was responsible for the company's third channel dedicated to ethnic minorities.

The input by all the other participants was of a high standard, with the exception of one Albanian participant whose knowledge of English was minimal.