Activity Details (ID# 5003)

Activity Synopsis

The main objective was to create a practical form of continued cooperation between young journalists who had earlier undergone training by AIM. The participants almost all live in provincial towns far from the respective capital cities. This cooperation involves an activity which can ensure that the participants receive further training, improve their professional skills and take their first steps in their career. Eight regional centres were created in Banja Luka and Tuzla (B-H), Vukovar/Osijek (Croatia), Podgorica (Montenegro), Bujanovac, Mladenovac and Novi Sad (Serbia) and Skopje (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”). In each centre, a journalist coordinates the work of a local network of young journalists who write reports and articles for the specially created New Generation website. Their publication on the site helps the authors to become known in the local media sector. Articles are translated into the different local languages (Albanian, Bosnian/Croat/Serb and Macedonian). 

This period was crucial for the establishment of this project. It has now begun to function smoothly despite the numerous problems involved in such a cross-border project, including practical obstacles created by running an internet site in different languages. In 2003 about 500 articles were published on the site, of which around 10% were published by local media in the different countries. This is a positive result, in view of the fact that these are trainee journalists.
There was an important training element in that the Director, Svetozar Sarkanjac, and his regional coordinators regularly go over the articles, discuss the choice of topics, terminology etc. The project has also given the young journalists a chance to learn how to work in a team and to create a joint media. Three meetings were held in this period: one large meeting with over 50 participants in Belgrade (July) and two smaller editorial meetings in Novi Sad (September) and October (Belgrade). These are not only occasions for a critical assessment of the project and for planning for the future. They also help establish regular cross-border links and cooperation between young journalists.

 

The project is now in a far stronger position to continue its work in the coming years. 

8 regional coordinators, 30 young journalists, 5 other personnel