About EJC - News
December Newsletter
Maastricht - December 27, 2009
Out with the old, in with the newsletter… Intentions set for an insightful 2010!
LETTERS
A note from Wilfried Ruetten, our director
We 
would like to thank all of you who made 2009 a year of abundant, colourful work for the EJC community. We organised and hosted more than 70 briefings for professional reporters and students. From the ground up, we organised two blogging competitions. We staged two international conferences. Over the course of the year, we met more than 1,000 journalists, including 800 from the EU, and more than 100 international journalism students.
We heartily thank all of you who visited and collaborated with us. We hope you find it worthwhile and continue to engage.
Special thanks to our partners and affiliates, as well as to EJC staff in the Maastricht and Brussels offices, for all the great work done in 2009.
Our 2010 diaries are filling up quickly. But we will always have time for a coffee with you at one of our seminars or at our offices. We’re open for input on what went well and what could be improved. You may also reach me via e-mail.
REACHING OUT
EU4Journalists: Now in Croatian and Turkish
W
e are pleased to announce that the main content of the EU4Journalists website is available in Croatian and Turkish. The site is a useful tool for any journalist seeking accurate, up-to-date background information about the EU and its institutions. It is now available in 24 languages.
New guidebook: covering development
The EuropeAid project To Act you have to Know, with the People in Need Foundation (Prague), will in January publish the EJC handbook, Reporting Development.
This practical guide, written by the EJC’s Oliver Wates together with Reuters, will be distributed to journalists who report on development issues in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. It will be available in local languages and English.
For more information, please contact EJC’s Marjan Tillmans.
CASAM: Help shape the future of the Internet
We are looking for professional TV and video journalists, video librarians, documentary makers, video editors and video bloggers in or willing to travel to Berlin, Prague, Lisbon or Hilversum.
Attendees will have the honour of testing a futuristic tool for multimedia annotation. Sessions will last between 45 and 60 minutes. Participants will test the first prototype of CASAM with the project partners. No travel or other costs will be covered. To apply, please e-mail EJC’s Eric Karstens. Please give details about your professional background.
Toward Press Freedom, 2.0
We have joined four other Dutch nonprofit organisations in the Press Freedom 2.0 consortium to help build local professional journalism capacity, raise ethical standards and improve media literacy in developing countries.
The consortium includes World Press Photo, European Partnership for Democracy, People on a Mission and Free Voice. The group has been working in recent months with dozens of local partners in the global south on a substantial grant request to work in that area. E-mail EJC’s Josh LaPorte for more information.
Pacific exchanges
We are most pleased with this year’s successful collaboration with Korean and Japanese press foundations. The year’s end saw the departure of our visiting fellows and a fabulous event celebrating Korean food. More than 200 Brussels-based correspondents attended.
Fellowship exchange programmes with the Nihon Shinbun Kyokai (NSK) and the Korea Press Foundation (KPF) will continue in 2010 to offer European journalists the chance to visit Korea or Japan. In return, Korean and Japanese journalists will live and work in Brussels for three months.
PRIORITISING PROJECT EUROPE
Covering the Lisbon Treaty
It took eight years to negotiate and ratify: the Lisbon Treaty, which came into force 1 December, lays the foundations for greater EU influence in the new world order. Journalists are invited to apply for our unique series of in-depth briefings on this new treaty. Briefings are co-organised with the European Commission in the coming months. Online applications will be available at www.ejcseminars.eu.
New job in Brussels?
The past year has been a bustling one for Journalists at Your Service (J@YS). But don’t worry: We’ve got plenty of energy to help new correspondents navigate working life in Brussels. In 2009, J@YS held two Newcomers’ Briefings. 
Reporters were introduced to the European Citizens Consultations with the King Baudouin Foundation and the European Commission. Other J@YS initiatives in 2009 included collaborating on panel discussions with Transparency International, ERA, the German Bar Association and the US Mission. For more on upcoming events, e-mail EJC’s Hélène Massart.
All aboard Press4transport
Since its launch in September, PRESS4TRANSPORT continues to accelerate. The website press4transport.eu went live to showcase survey information about sustainable surface transport projects across the EU. The site is available in seven languages.
After the survey process is complete, PRESS4TRANSPORT will disseminate press releases to a wide range of EU media on behalf of the project.
Exploring the euro area
Between February and June, 2010, the EJC and DG ECFIN will host a series of seminars for financial and economic journalists from Europe. A specific workshop will be held for reporters from countries outside the euro area. The three-to-four-day briefings will include sessions on the EMU and enlargement of the euro area. Selected journalists will also have the opportunity to visit the ECB in Frankfurt.
Precise dates will be posted at ejcseminars.eu.
Unfinished business: crisis in financial journalism
China and India command the attention of global economic thinkers, yet business journalism in these states remains undeveloped. Who will be the independent watchdogs in these rapidly expanding economies?
An EJC conference book to be published in March will explore this and other questions raised at last month’s Covering the Crisis conference, two days of intense interaction and fruitful debate between leading global players from the world of financial journalism: the FT, The Economist, Bloomberg News, BBC and Columbia Journalism Review.
After you read the impressions of Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck and Cristina Romero, please find more quotes, videos and 
photos at www.coveringthecrisis.eu.
Keep Th!nking
TH!NK2 bloggers were in Copenhagen from 15 to 20 December to attend the COP15 conference. Adela Trofin (Romania), Federico Pistono (Italy) and Diego Casaes Silva (Brazil) reported from COP15 via their blogs on www.thinkaboutit.eu.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended the world’s largest climate change summit, including 85 world leaders.
We warmly thank the European Commission and Dutch Ministry for Education, Science and Culture for supporting the TH!NK2 project.
PASSPORT TO COLLECTIVE, NETWORKED MEDIA
On the EU’s doorstep
Starting in February, selected European journalists will journey beyond the borders of the EU and visit a number of European Neighbourhood countries. Eight seminars will take them to ENP countries: Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan, then south through Syria, Israel, Tunisia and Morocco. Each of the intensive five-day workshops will centre on a different country through meetings with officials, independent experts and field visits.
Applications open in January 2010 at ejcseminars.eu.
Media literacy for Macedonia
The EJC is thrilled to announce it has been elected to another two-year term on the board of directors for the Macedonian Institute for the Media. We are presently running a multi-year Matra programme, Media Literacy Education in MK.
Media literacy will be embedded in the core curriculum of all courses held in primary and secondary schools where Albanian, Macedonian or Turkish languages are spoken. This initiative was mentioned on the Dutch embassy website in Macedonia. For more information, e-mail Josh LaPorte.
Toward a new ecosystem at WEF
EJC Director Wilfried Ruetten has again been invited to be a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Future of Journalism, run under the auspices of the World Economic Forum. This group of experts has come up with a substantial paper on the future journalism. It states, “journalism is vital for building societies. It is a systemic part of the social environment. We need to build a new technical, political and financial ecosystem to support it.”
Covering the beautiful game
We recently finished the Sports and Society Workshop series in Africa along with Free Voice and World Press Photos. At the series of practical workshops for African journalists in the run up to the World Cup 2010, journalists were required to write stories about events surrounding and related to the games. Workshops were held in Accra, Ghana; followed by two in Cairo (one for radio, one for print); one in Lagos, Nigeria (radio); and two final workshops (one for radio; one for print, in French) in Ouagdougou, Burkina Faso.
Story outputs will be published or broadcast by participants’ media outlets. Of the 72 journalists who participated in the training, 18 will be selected to cover the World Cup.
MOVING ON
After two years in the Brussels journalistic arena, EJC project manager Rodolfo Perez-Saracibar is leaving our team. We thank him for the excellent work he accomplished during his time with us. We wish him good luck and all the best for his future endeavours.
After three years behind the lens, EJC associate producer Bernd Kapeller is leaving our Maastricht office. We’ll miss his sense of humour and wish him all the best for the future.
UP AND COMING
Journalism 2020
11 January, Brussels
EJC joins the University of Missouri’s Transatlantic Center for a half-day conference at the Residence Palace in Brussels. We’ll discuss the impact of convergence journalism, economic models and international coverage in a globalised world. Wilfried Ruetten will be among the panelists. For more information, please e-mail the conference organisers.
WEB NEWS
—EJC is still larking around as @ejcnet. Follow us!
** iTunes
—Download EJC podcasts, including the EU4Journalists weekly roundup
** Facebook—Join our Facebook community for the inside track on events and developments!
MOST-READ ARTICLES OF 2009
The road to journalism: Why we choose to be journalists
Top journalists give tips on YouTube
Scaring up an audience in the attention economy
European Institute of Technology: KIC(K)starting innovation or networking itself to death?
Media Pluralism Monitor unveiled
Posted on December 27, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Korea’s cuisine comes to the Residence Palace in Brussels
Maastricht - December 6, 2009
The first of December was a magical evening for nearly 200 international journalists who attended the “Korean Cuisine” event organised by the Korean Embassy in Brussels and the European Journalism Centre.
The fruitful collaboration of the EJC with South Korea and the Korean Press Foundation initiated three years ago has brought to Brussels so far five Korean journalists. Each spent three months in Brussels. European journalists have flown to Korea for a fact-finding tour lasting around two weeks.
The idea of bringing to Brussels a well-known Korean cook - Kim Soo-Jin, who is also a food consultant to the South Korean first lady Kim Yoon-ok – originated with the embassy when EJC suggested having a Korean event to publicise Korea among the press corps.
In less than two months the idea became a “kaleidoscopic” reality, with an expert team of Koreans working intensively for two days to prepare the complex dishes and present them in a fantastic show satisfying the eyes before pleasing the palate. The EJC contacting the Brussels press corps to inform them about the initiative.
Many of the journalists who participated had never tasted Korean food before; the experience for them was a very pleasant surprise. The gentle notes of Arirang and other famous Korean songs echoed in the Residence Palace restaurant hall while the guests queued at the entrance eager to have a break from the usual EU policy talks. Their expectations were fulfilled.
An explosion of colours welcomed the guests entering the restaurant hall: the colours of the artistically arranged dishes – from kimchi to bulgogi to bibimbap and other delicacies – was the first “coup d’oeil”, combined with the appetizing smells of the chapchae being cooked under their very eyes by the expert Kim Soo-Jin, dressed in a splendidly decorated “Hanbok” (the embroidered flowing robe in a very tasteful combination of pastel colours).
For the eyes there were also other surprises, like the exhibition of photographs taken by a group of European journalists visiting Korea last summer. Korea, seen through their eyes, appeared as a very colourful place but also a very welcoming country with skyscrapers vying for space with orderly parks, steep mountains swarming with hikers, people selling their wares and children playing. There were sumptuous dishes and live fish for sale in markets.
Guests in Brussels that night shared a common impression that the country is full of surprises, a different image from the technologically oriented country mass-producing portable phones and T-shirts to the whole world. The food was a particular surprise for everyone: special plum wine served in bamboo containers, delicious Korean pears looking like gigantic apples, mushrooms and ginseng: that omnipresent Korean root that seems to cure all illnesses.
The welcome speech by the Ambassador H.E. Park Joon-woo opened the ceremony followed by a brief address by the EJC director Wilfried Rütten. After the “official” part of the evening concluded, the chef took over with her explanation and demonstration of how to cook a Korean dish followed by the “tasting” session, which was an absolute success.
- Maria Laura Franciosi-Thuburn, senior EJC correspondent
Posted on December 6, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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November 2009 Newsletter
Maastricht - November 24, 2009
Where science meets finance and runs with the story!
HEADLINERS
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## Covering the Crisis: Every angle examined
Complexity, timing and barriers to sources are among difficulties financial journalists encounter in the course of their reporting, a group of 25 speakers concluded at an EJC Interface conference on the role of the media in the financial crisis on 9-10 November in Brussels.
A historic lack of connection with academics, bloggers and other experts may further inhibit financial coverage at mainstream media outlets. Writing for a public that may have low levels of financial literacy is also problematic.
These and other conclusions were drawn when a cadre of business reporters, academics, officials and financial experts gathered in the heart of Europe to discuss how the crisis was covered in financial and general media in Europe and the US.
Former Danish prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and financial futurist Bernard Lietaer were among the 25 speakers at our event, which also included Ásgeir Jónsson of Iceland’s Kaupthing Bank, Financial Times associate editor Wolfgang Munchau and Danny Schechter, the US “news dissector.”
More information at the conference website.
## Assisting development
The EJC will launch a series of information briefings on the EU’s external aid this month. We will provide journalists access to concrete projects implemented in developing countries and experts on related EU policies. Topics range from climate change, instability in areas with food and water shortages and a case study on aid in Morocco. For further information please visit Aid in Motion or contact EJC’s Cara Smith.
## EJC competition wins European web award
We are thrilled to announce that the TH!NK ABOUT IT: Climate Change blogging competition, a joint project with the European Commission, has won a European Public Affairs Award. The EPA jury chose TH!NK, a community of bloggers from 40 different countries, as the Web 2.0 Campaign Of The Year.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
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## Through the eyes of candidate countries
In September and October, the EJC brought groups of journalists from Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey to Luxembourg for press visits. These events, organised by the EJC with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg, aimed to familiarise participants with the European institutions in the Grand Duchy. In addition to institutional meetings, participants visited Schengen, where the borders of Germany, France and Luxembourg meet and an agreement of the same name was signed on 14 June, 1985.
## EJC: Innovate to Inspire
In mid-October, we brought together a dozen thought leaders for the conference, Youth Media and the Next Generation Classroom. Please visit our website for a summary, interviews and links to
all the presentations.
NEW HORIZONS
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## EU-Russia talks
Climate change is expected to be one of the most important topics discussed at the upcoming EU-Russia Summit in Stockholm on 18 November. In anticipation of this summit, the EJC has organised a series of exclusive meetings in Stockholm. Fifteen Russian journalists will meet a group of Swedish politicians to include environment minister Andreas Carlgren and several MPs. The journalists will be briefed on the latest issues dominating the EU-Russian agenda: energy security, economic and financial crisis, and commitment to multilateralism.
## Ahead with the Spanish Presidency
The forthcoming Spanish Presidency will face many challenges. Its agenda includes the restoration of confidence in the financial markets, combating the negative impact of the crisis and the creation of long-term solutions for sustainable growth and employment. Our four-day workshop will provide fresh, updated information from officials and independent experts on the strategies and policies to be implemented throughout the first half of 2010.
## From Belarus, China and Syria to the heart of Europe
In the upcoming weeks three groups of tenacious journalists arriving from Belarus, China and 
Syria will visit Brussels. They will investigate current trade, political and economic relations impacting these countries and the EU. A thorough consideration of press freedom will also be at the forefront of discussions.
## RELATE: Science writing on tour
If you’re a journalism student or rookie reporter beginning your career in science writing, we welcome you to apply now for the next round of RELATE. Visit us for more on our REsearch LAbs for TEaching Journalists (RELATE) project or contact EJC’s Howard Hudson. Our new deadline is 30 November.
## SYNC3: Help us map the blogosphere
Our SYNC3 project seeks to assess the credibility of unknown bloggers. We are presently collecting training materials to help researchers evaluate the results of our initial automatic analysis and to fine-tune the machine learning process. Please help us collect a list of credible bloggers. Send your recommendations in the form of the URL of the blog (in the English language please) to info@sync3.eu or use the feedback form. For more information, please contact EJC’s Miroslav Hazer.
UPCOMING EJC SEMINARS
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## European Neighbourhood Policy: Energy and sustainable development 17-21 November, Brussels and Baku
An intensive five-day briefing scheduled in Brussels and Baku offers the chance for reporters to deepen their understanding of the EU’s relationship with Azerbaijan within the framework of the ENP. Energy and sustainable development in particular will be discussed. For further information, please visit EJC seminars.
## CFSP-ESDP 30 November-1 December, Brussels
The EU says it actively promotes human security around the world. This means tackling the root causes of conflicts, such as poverty and injustice, and utilising multilateral solutions. Learn more at our next Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) seminar. Please contact Helene Massart.
## Newsroom Management workshop 9-11 December, Maastricht
The workshop allows participants to test management techniques in discussions and role-play. We provide tools to help managers deal with the challenges of motivating staff and running an efficient newsroom. Per Andersson, former editor of the Swedish Channel 1 news programme, leads this course. We welcome your application. Contact EJC’s Bianca Lemmens.
WEB NEWS
———————————————
** Twitter—EJC is still larking around as @ejcnet. Follow us!
** iTunes—Download EJC podcasts, including the EU4Journalists weekly roundup
** Facebook—Join our Facebook community for the inside track on events and developments.
**Delicious Cozy up with in-depth reading on the future of our industry with EJC’s recommended reading list.
Posted on November 24, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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October 2009 Newsletter
Maastricht - October 13, 2009
EJC: Programmes as colourful as the autumn
ENABLING INFORMED REPORTING
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## Covering the Crisis: Media in the Meltdown
We’re bringing business reporters, editors and experts to Brussels to consider the media’s role in the financial crisis. Join us on 9 and 10 November as we question why journalists didn’t – or couldn’t – alert the public to the coming economic crisis. We invite you to help examine lessons learned for business journalism.
This conference will feature Greg Philo of Glasgow University, Ásgeir Jónsson of Iceland’s Kaupthing Bank and American media critic Danny Schechter. Visit Covering The Crisis or contact EJC’s Bianca Lemmens or Raymond Frenken.
## PRESS4TRANSPORT: Curating transport research
Building on the success of our PressenSave initiative, the EJC will soon open a virtual press office to communicate newsworthy research initiatives about Sustainable Surface Transport, or SST. We will help national and regional SST projects inform mainstream European media outlets of their innovative work. This EU-sponsored initiative includes a digital platform to highlight national and regional transport projects for press consumption free of charge.
Our PRESS4TRANSPORT partners include scientific experts in the field of transport research as well as media specialists. Acting as media specialists, the EJC’s role will be to alert journalists to newsworthy SST studies taking place across the EU.
GLOBAL FUSION
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## Travels to Transnistria
EU reporters travelled in September to Transnistria - a de facto independent republic formed after the break up of the Soviet Union - for a European Neighbourhood Policy briefing. After attending meetings on the “frozen conflict” in Brussels and Chisinau, journalists travelled to the border area between Moldova and Ukraine. There they met in the “Supreme Soviet” (ie Parliament) and reported from the streets of Tiraspol.
## Waking in the Land of the Rising Sun
In early October, four European journalists travelled across Japan for the Nihon Shinbun Kyokai (NSK) and EJC Fellowship Programme. These journalists toured several cities and were exposed to various aspects of Japanese culture.
Meanwhile, the EJC hosted 14 Japanese journalists at the seminar: “Introduction to the EU with a Focus on Environment”. Japanese colleagues were introduced to the inner workings of EU machinery as they got a taste of life as a correspondent based in Brussels. The programme primarily concerned itself with exposing the European perspective on the world’s ever-evolving environmental situation.
## TH!NK2: Climate Change
More than 90 bloggers from 40 countries met in Copenhagen on 21-22 September for the launch of our second international blogging competition.
Our platform now hosts almost 200 articles and more than 700 comments about the challenges facing the UN Climate Change Conference, COP15. The kick-off event featured a conference at the ‘Bella Center’ - the arena for the UN summit - with Søren Hermansen, Time Magazine’s Hero of the Environment 2008, Tascha Eichenseher of National Geographic, and François Roudie of the European Commission. Join the discussion at thinkaboutit.eu.
VISIONS
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## Innovation Days
On 13 October we will host an experts’ meeting on intellectual property rights with speakers from Google and Creative Commons. The event is part of the first European Innovation Summit, hosted by Knowledge4Innovation, at the European Parliament Brussels 13-14 October.
On 15 and 16 October, EJC will host a conference tagged “Innovations in youth media and Next Generation Classroom” following up on the Interfacing Innovation conference we held April. Apply now: Contact EJC’s Biba Klomp.
## Covering cracked ceilings
We recently handpicked 30 reporters - representing European nations including Turkey and Iceland - to attend the official launch for the EU’s Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors. The network’s aim is to see that women will run half of all companies throughout Europe.
Prior to 5 October launch, the journalists met Therese Albrechtsson, a 24-year-old Swedish Business Ambassador and the winner of Europe’s Best Young Entrepreneur prize in 2008. Albrechtsson sold her first and most successful business and currently owns two companies in the fashion and IT sectors.
## RELATE: Apply now for rounds two and three
We’re rolling on to rounds two and three of the EJC initiative to introduce emerging science journalists to working scientists. Journalism student or rookie reporters interested in career science writing are invited to apply. Click here for more on “REsearch LAbs for TEaching journalists,” or RELATE. Join our Facebook group or contact EJC’s Howard Hudson. Visit here for eligibility criteria. New deadline: 30 November.
## Joining the ranks
Two groups of journalism students are set to learn about working as correspondents in Brussels. American students (Oct. 12-15) will meet officials from the US Mission to the EU and hear presentations on transatlantic relations and the US image abroad. Subsequent to their country’s “yes” vote to the referendum, Irish students (Oct. 14-16) will attend - amongst others - a session on how the Lisbon Treaty will change the European Union.
## SYNC3: Tracking blogs, mapping news, sharing opinions
RIA Novosti hosted SYNC3’s third consortium meeting on 1-2 October. The Moscow meeting explored the results of the user requirements survey. Partners agreed on system architecture, moving the project into exciting new phases. EJC will classify content over the next five months to provide training material for the machine learning process. Contact here
## Newsroom Management workshops
28-30 October, Moscow
9-11 December, Maastricht
The EJC is holding two workshops in its Newsroom Management series, first at the premises of Russian press agency Ria Novosti, then at the EJC in Maastricht. We focus on management techniques by testing them in discussions and role-play, helping managers find solutions for challenges including motivating staff and running an efficient newsroom. Per Andersson, former editor of the Swedish Channel 1 news programme and a trainer in newsroom management since 1995, will lead the courses. Please apply now for the December workshop in Maastricht. Contact EJC’s Bianca Lemmens.
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Fellows have breathtaking experience in all too credible, kaleidoscopic Korea
Maastricht - September 18, 2009
The visit of European fellows to South Korea within the exchange programme for journalists between the Korea Press Foundation (KPF) and the European Journalism Centre exceeded the expectations of both groups.
European fellows discovered a thriving country, met with interesting people and were showered with attention by the organisers, who went well beyond their host duties. The impression made on all the fellows was that of being surrounded by a group of friends who are competent and always available and willing to answer all sorts of questions.
The South Korean team was highly professional (a special mention for the two co-ordinators Kim Jihyuk and Kang Haejoo and the very competent interpreter Lee Sohyun) and succeeded in creating an atmosphere of wellbeing. Their abilities shone even in the presentation of the varied, succulent (and, why not, extremely colourful) menus that became for all fellows the real surprises of this somewhat under-publicised country.
At the end of the visit fellows expressed their understanding that they had just scratched the surface of a complex country, one with some problems particularly connected to the issue of potential unification with North Korea, but also determined to transform efforts into resounding achievements. Combined with the professionalism and the courteousness, fellows discovered a passionate country, with its eyes firmly fixed on the future but with its heart still anchored to an old but incredibly tangible past.
The visit coincided with the funeral of former President Kim Dae Jung, a man much loved by the Korean people. The first signs of a gradual reopening of contacts between the two Koreas were a godsend for journalists participating in the programme who thus had good material for their reportages.
Clean, green, restless and sleepless, Korea has been showing its most amazing characteristics in a very unassuming way, as if it was normal for example to have immaculate streets even after hundreds of thousands of people had lined them to honour their deceased former President or to have markets and shops open until early in the morning with crowds shopping into the small hours. Even a simple recent tradition such as the fixing of a small padlock on a railing in some spot of scenic beauty – launched by an Italian film a few years ago (Luis Prieto’s “Ho voglia di Te”) – has become in Korea a frenzy, with thousands of “love-locks” attached to the gates surrounding Seoul Tower as a lasting remembrance of a romantic evening.
The series of lectures and meetings lined up by the KPF covered a whole series of interests: from Foreign Trade Agreements to nuclear proliferation, to questions of national security linked to the difficult relationship with North Korea; from technological innovations to the ubiquity of high-speed Korean internet provision, from the visit to the Demilitarized Zone to the several “green” initiatives that signpost the future course of Korean development.
- Maria Laura Franciosi-Thuburn, senior EJC correspondent
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September 2009 Newsletter
Maastricht - September 11, 2009
HEADLINERS
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## TH!NK2: Climate Change
The EJC is thrilled to launch its second pan-European blogging competition, TH!NK2: Climate Change, on 21 September at a two-day kickoff summit in Copenhagen. Around 90 TH!NK ABOUT IT bloggers representing 40 countries will meet on 21 September at the Bella Center, the site of the much-anticipated COP15.
After a day of hearing panelists and speakers representing political, journalistic and advocacy organisations, the TH!NKERS will visit the Dyssekilde Ecovillage in Torup, North Sealand. This community of 130 adults aims to be ecologically, economically and socially sustainable.
Tweets and a livestream will be running during presentations. We’re also giving TH!NK bloggers each their own FLIP HD cameras, and holding training sessions about how to produce original content.
The TH!NKERS will be able to blog about presentations and ask questions of speakers like Søren Hermansen, Time Magazine’s Hero of the Environment 2008; François Roudie, policy co-ordinator for climate change issues at the European Commission; Tasha Eichenseher, a science producer and editor at National Geographic and Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace Nordic.
After the launch event, sponsored jointly by the EJC and the European Commission, TH!NK bloggers will post about climate change topics throughout the autumn.
Tune in here!
DIGGING DEEPER
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## Innovation Days
On 13 October, the EJC will host an experts’ meeting on intellectual property rights. The event is a piece of the first European Innovation Summit, hosted byKnowledge4Innovation and the Lisbon Forum at the European Parliament in Brussels from 13-14 October. The summit will spotlight Europe’s knowledge and innovation economy, especially among MEPs.
On 15 and 16 October, the EJC will hold a conference tagged Innovation in Youth Media and Next Generation Clasroom, as a follow up to our Interfacing Innovation conference in April. We will be joining the Get in Touch with Creativity and Innovation event in Maastricht, hosted by the Province of Limburg. The conference will explore how basic information, networks, entertainment, user-generated content and classic content can be combined to create new and significant approaches to education.
Please contact Biba Klomp for more information. It’s still possible to apply!
## SYNC3: Structuring the blogosphere
The first six-month period of this three-year project focused on a user requirements survey, which closed at the end of September. The EJC, together with consortium partners, organised 10 focus groups attended by more than 80 potential users. In addition, online questionnaires brought valuable insights and information from more than 170 respondents. The SYNC3 team at the EJC is now compiling a report of the data in order to guide further steps.
Four participants won a drawing for a Flip HD Video Camcorders: Alexander Krastev – Bulgaria, André Feldhof, Germany; George Jiglau, Romania; and David Keating, United Kingdom.
For details on SYNC3, visit thissite, which includes Twitter feeds and a Facebook group. You may also contact Miroslav Hazer.
## More with less
The EJC will collaborate with the Fonds Pascal Decroos, a fund to promote investigative journalism in Flanders, to host the VVOJ’s annual conference on practical matters concerning investigative journalists. The VVOJ is concerned with knowledge transfer and collaboration among practicing investigative journalists. This year’s event will focus on how to do more journalism with fewer resources. It will be held 27-28 November in Utrecht. The website is here (in Dutch).
NEAR AND FAR
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## EJC-KPF fellowship programme
Between 19-29 August a delegation of eight European journalists attended the EJC-KPF Fellowship in South Korea. The fellowship, organised by the EJC in co-operation with the Korea Press Foundation, included a full slate of lectures on politics, economics, trade, society and culture given by engaging speakers. It also included a visit to Ulsan, Busan and Jeju Island for a seminar with past Korean fellows.
##Innovation Journalism
We partnered with Vibacom to organise the Fourth Regional Conference on Innovation Journalism Stanford after Stanford 2009 on 3 September in Ljubljana. Wilfried Ruetten, the director of EJC, delivered a high-impact speech highlighting what EJC is doing to develop innovation as a journalistic topic relevant to the ongoing search for new business models. Education and professional development of journalists are key proponents of the search for innovation, he said. Speakers from Stanford University, Innovation Media Consulting and The Enterprise Development Group joined the discussion.
UPCOMING EJC SEMINARS
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## Media and the Financial Crisis: Time for Reflection
9-10 November, Brussels
Almost a dozen top international journalists, financial writers and academics have confirmed their participation in CoveringTheCrisis, our international conference on the role of the media and the financial crisis. The conference will take place in Brussels on November 9 and 10.
CoveringTheCrisis will attempt to analyse mass media failure to report effectively on the Wall Street and City shenanigans that led to the biggest financial crisis of our generation. We will provide a debate on control of financial news and will also conclude with a discussion on the future of journalism and financial journalism.
Registration is open to a limited number of journalists through the conference website providing also information about speakers, programme and practical information.
For more information feel free to contact Raymond Frenken (Programme queries) and European Network of Female Entrepreneurship seminar
5-6 October, Stockholm
A press seminar concerning aims to boost rates of female business activity. The entrepreneurial potential of women constitutes an underdeveloped source of economic growth and of new jobs. Women represent, on average, 30 percent of entrepreneurs in Europe but face greater difficulties than men in starting up businesses and accessing finance and training. Apply here.
##Covering the Security Research Conference
29 September, Stockholm
A one day briefing for journalists organised within the context of the European Security Research Conference in Stockholm, an event set up under the Swedish Presidency of the European Union. Journalists will be able to interview European researchers and decision-makers who will present and discuss the developing technologies and capabilities which support the protection of European citizens from terrorism, organised crime and natural disasters. Apply here.
Covering the Space Exploration Conference
23 October, Prague
The conference will provide a forum amongst key players to debate Europe’s development of a common vision for space exploration. For those who are interested in covering this subject, the one-day event offers the opportunity to attend discussions with institutional stakeholders from the EU and respective Member States, the European Space Agency, as well as representatives of third countries active in space cooperation. Apply here.
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Posted on September 11, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under announcements.
August 2009 Newsletter
Maastricht - August 12, 2009
EJC brings you media news at the beach, lake or sea—wherever you may be!
HEADLINERS
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## TH!NK2: Climate Change
EJC will launch a pan-European blogging competition in Copenhagen from 21-22 September. This follows on from the highly successful first round. The EJC will arm ALL bloggers with a Flip HD to help them add multimedia content to their blog posts. Click here for more!
## DISCOVER SCIENCE: Inside Out
Are you a journalism student or rookie reporter? Do you want a career in science writing? We’re sending 80 journalism students to labs in Italy, Turkey and Switzerland from this November. Click here for more on ‘REsearch LAbs for TEaching journalists’ (RELATE). Join our Facebook group or contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Click here for eligibility criteria. Deadline 31 August.
## JOURNALISM AWARD: For Diversity
Have you written about discrimination, on the grounds of race, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation? EJC is supporting the “For Diversity, Against Discrimination” Journalism Award 2009. Click here for more on how to apply.
## FUTURE PROOF: Europe and Asia
EJC director Wilfried Ruetten will join a panel discussion on 12-13 August in Singapore. He will debate the future of EU-Asian journalism cooperation at the executive board meeting of the Asian Center for Journalism.
NEW HORIZONS
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## Innovation Days
On 13 October, the EJC will host an experts meeting on intellectual property rights. The event is part of the first European Innovation Summit, hosted by Knowledge4Innovation and the Lisbon Forum, at the European Parliament Brussels 13-14 October. The Summit will spotlight Europe’s knowledge and innovation economy, especially among MEPs.
On 15 October, EJC will hold a conference tagged “Innovations in youth media and learning systems”, following up on our Interfacing Innovation conference in April.
Then on 16 October, we join the “Get in Touch with Creativity and Innovation” event in Maastricht. Hosted by the Province of Limburg, our workshop will explore innovations in learning systems, and change management in educational organisations.
Apply now: Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
## SYNC3: User Survey!
EJC is fine-tuning SYNC3 ahead of the full system design. To meet all user requirements, your feedback is key. Please help us by completing our survey. Deadline 17 August. More details here, including twitter feed and facebook group, or contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
## CASAM: First Prototype!
CASAM is well on the way to having a functional prototype. Hands-on testing with professional users will begin November 2009 in the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, and Czech Republic. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
UPCOMING EJC SEMINARS
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## Media and the Financial Crisis: Time for Reflection
9-10 November, Brussels
An international conference on the role of the media in the financial crisis. The event brings together journalists, politicians, academics, regulators, bankers and others to debate where journalism failed in the years preceding the crisis. Where do responsibilities lie for market watchdogs and policy-makers? How did the news coverage of the unfolding crisis affect the development of the story? How is the crisis speeding up the collapse of traditional media business models? Confirmed speakers: Dean Starkman, assistant managing editor at the Columbia Journalism Review; Robert Teitelman, editor-in-chief of The Deal; Danny Schechter, author of ‘Plunder; investigating our Economic Calamity’; Damian Tambini of London School of Economics; Rich Rescigno, managing editor at Barron’s; and Asgeir Jonsson, chief economist at Kaupthing Bank. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
## Economic priorities of the Swedish Presidency
1-3 September, Brussels
A three-day seminar for Swedish financial and economic journalists, focusing on the economic agenda of the Swedish EU Presidency, the EU’s response to the financial crisis, and the role of the euro in stabilising European markets.
## European Neighbourhood Policy: Migration and regional stability
22-26 September, Brussels & Chisinau
This intensive briefing takes journalists to Moldova to track the state of play of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Meetings with EU officials, diplomats, NGOs, independent experts focus on regional stability and migration.
## EU-Brazil relations press visit
30 September-2 October, Brussels
Brazilian reporters, invited by the European Commission, will attend a series of background briefings on EU and bilateral issues given by independent experts and EU officials before going to Stockholm where they will cover the third EU-Brazil Summit on the 6th of October.
## European Network of Female Entrepreneurship seminar
5-6 October, Stockholm
A press seminar that aims to boost the rate of female business activity. The entrepreneurial potential of women constitutes an underdeveloped source of economic growth and of new jobs.They represent, on average, 30% of entrepreneurs in Europe but face greater difficulties than men in starting up businesses and accessing finance and training. Apply here.
WEB NEWS
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** Twitter—EJC is a nightingale on Hampstead Heath! Username: ejcnet
** iTunes—Download EJC podcasts, including the EU4Journalists weekly roundup
** Facebook—Join our facebook community for the inside track on events and developments!
Latest updates to the EJC Magazine include:
- Hot or not: Breaking down the hot news doctrine
- The truth about Marika: Lie or Gesamtkunstwerk?
- New media observatory: White elephant or Trojan horse?
- Digital TV in shackles
- Swiss TV bites back at vampire Sarzoky
- Training Facebook in the land of Vkontakte
- Reactions from Belgrade: Serbian journalists indicted for promoting, enabling war crimes
- Teaching Twitter in Ukraine
- Top journalists give tips on YouTube
- The road to journalism continues: Why we choose to be journalists
Posted on August 12, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under news.
EJC in Bosnia-Herzegovina: Investigative Journalism and Reporting Corruption in Public Institutions
Maastricht - July 28, 2009
Corruption, nepotism, and drug abuse were all on the curriculum for nine students attending the EJC’s investigative journalism course, funded by the MATRA programme for social transformation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands.
The young journalists and journalism students from Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Mostar have successfully finalized their investigative stories, as part of the educative programme jointly organized by Mediacenter Sarajevo and European Journalism Centre. With the assistance of mentors, from March-April 2009, they investigated corruption at universities; false registration of companies; free trade of opiates in local pharmacies; nepotism and necessary political connections for getting jobs in public institutions.
The programme included three training sessions during which participants learned more about basic journalism techniques (news reporting, writing report, video and audio production, writing for the web, and basics of investigative journalism). Also, in cooperation with Transparency International BH they discovered more about corruption in Bosnia-Herzegovina and methods for reporting it. Workshop with trainers and experienced journalists from Reuters helped them to focus their stories and systematize knowledge on investigative techniques in journalism.
All participants received certificates for successfully finishing their programmes, provided by Mediacenter and European Journalism Centre.
The participants of the first cycle were: Ante Bender, journalism student and journalist of the Radio Herceg Bosna, Mostar; Suzana Kvrgić, journalist of the magazine ‘Women’ Banja Luka; Dino Jahić, journalist of the Center for Investigative Journalism, Sarajevo; Đorđe Vujatović, journalism student and journalist of RTRS-a, Banja Luka; Emina Trhulj, journalism student, Faculty of Political Science, Sarajevo; Melisa Arapović, journalism student, Faculty of political science, Sarajevo; Semir Mujkić, journalist of the START magazine, Sarajevo; Edin Kalender, student of the Law Faculty, Sarajevo; Mariana Šarčević, journalism student and journalist of the news agency SRNA, Banja Luka.
Trainers were: Nedim Dervišbegović, journalist and editor of the web portal Radio Sarajevo; Aldin Arnautović, journalist and producer, Sarajevo; Elvira Jahić, journalist and the producer, Sarajevo; Suzana Šačić, journalist and editor of the magazine ‘Beaty and Health’, Sarajevo; Goran Todorović, journalist and program manager, Mediacenter Sarajevo.
Read the stories in Bosnian here. Radio Sarajevo, one of the leading web portals in BH, will publish all the stories with info about the students and the programme.
Posted on July 28, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under projects.
July 2009 Newsletter
Maastricht - July 13, 2009
EJC is innovating, motivating and mobilising—read all about it below!
HEADLINERS
TH!NK2: Climate Change
EJC will launch its second pan-European blogging competition in Copenhagen from 21-22 September. The trip to Copenhagen is free for participants. The EJC will arm ALL bloggers with a Flip HD to help them add multimedia content to their blog posts. Please join us here!
DISCOVER SCIENCE: Inside Out
Are you a journalism student or a rookie reporter just out of school? Do you want a springboard into science writing? EJC needs you!! We’re sending 80 young journalists for 5 days to labs in Italy, Turkey and Switzerland starting this November. Click here for more on REsearch LAbs for TEaching journalists’ (RELATE). Join the Facebook group or contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
FUTURE PROOF: Europe and Asia
EJC director Wilfried Ruetten joins a panel discussion on 12-13 August in Hanoi, Vietnam. Along with other panelists, he explores and debates the future of European-Asian journalism cooperation at the executive board meeting of the Asian Center for Journalism.
FREQUENT FLYERS
Conference Fever
TH!NKers gathered in Rotterdam on 15 June to seal four months of hard work. Highlights were: Julien Frisch’s masked apperance, David Brewer on the power of alternative media, the award ceremony, boat tour and party.
Back in Brussels, Eric Karstens reported from the Media Pluralism event on 8 June, exploring new ways to measure diversity in broadcasting and political influence over the media.
On the Flip Side
Ahead of the Grand Finale of Th!nk About It, EJC caught up with Dutch blogger Mats Siffels in Maastricht. Then, backstage in Rotterdam, Simon Van Woerden explained why Brits are far from ‘ignorant Europeans’. At the Grand Finale itself, EJC spoke with three dozen bloggers, comparing notes and opinions on the June European elections.
NEW HORIZONS
SYNC3: Answer to Win!
EJC is fine-tuning SYNC3 ahead of the system design. To meet all user requirements, your feedback is key. Please help us by completing our survey. Little incentive: fill it out by the end of July and you could win one of 4 HD Flip Camcorders. More details here, including twitter feed and facebook group, or contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
CASAM: First Prototype!
Soon CASAM will sport a functional prototype. Hands-on testing with professional users will begin November 2009 in the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, and Czech Republic. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Limbering Up
On 15 October, EJC will run the next conference in our series on innovation, this time focusing on innovations in youth media. Then on 16 October, we join the “.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)” event in Maastricht. Hosted by the Province of Limburg, our workshop will explore innovations in learning systems, and change management in educational organisations. Apply now: Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Sparking Ideas
On 13 October, the EJC will host an experts meeting on intellectual property rights. The event is part of the first European Innovation Summit, hosted by Knowledge4Innovation and the Lisbon Forum, at the European Parliament Brussels 13-14 October. The Summit will spotlight Europe’s knowledge and innovation economy, especially among MEPs. Apply now: Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
GREEN THEME
Eco Press
EJC has managed the Pressensave virtual press office for almost two years, highlighting the work of energy saving projects in Europe. The EJC produces 40 original articles per year in this role, and welcomes outside contributions. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Taking Stock
Ahead of the Swedish EU Presidency, a two-day seminar for Swedish environmental journalists took place in Brussels. It focused on EU Environment Policy and helped Swedish journalists to prepare for the EU Presidency from 1 July. Climate change policies were the highlight of the briefing. Participants also attended the EU Green Week.
NEAR NEIGHBOURS
Walking the Wall
Ahead of Obama’s speech in Cairo, EJC’s Kerstin Eigert took EU journalists to the West Bank for a European Neighbourhood Policy briefing on the Middle East conflict. From 25-29 May, reporters met local officials, visited a refugee camp and saw the barrier.
Home from Home
EJC’s Branka Kostovska took a group of journalists to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from 22-26 June. They met with members of the Knesset, toured Jewish settlements and parts of Jerusalem marked by home demolitions. Upcoming ENP briefings include Moldova, Egypt and Azerbaijan.
UPCOMING EJC SEMINARS
Economic priorities of the Swedish Presidency
1-3 September, Brussels
A four-day seminar for Swedish financial journalists, focusing on the economic agenda of the new EU Presidency, the EU’s response to the financial crisis, and the role of the euro in stabilising European markets.
Common Foreign and Security Policy
21-22 September, Brussels
Transatlantic relations, Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan are high on the agenda for the first EC-EJC joint seminar on CFSP issues since the election of Barack Obama. The CFSP event targets EU journalists covering international news. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
European Neighbourhood Policy: Migration and regional stability
22-26 September, Brussels & Chisinau
This intensive briefing takes journalists to Moldova to track the state of play of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Meetings with EU officials, diplomats, NGOs, independent experts focus on regional stability and migration.
Media and the Financial Crisis: Time for Self-reflection
9-10 November, Brussels
The EJC will hold an international conference on the media’s role in the economic downturn. On the agenda: how media may have contributed to the crisis, and how to improve coverage of the present and possible future crises. The event will connect media professionals, academics, and authorities and will offer an opportunity to learn from each other at a crucial time for Europe’s social economies. The event recognises the deep changes faced by the media industry, but sees them as a window of opportunity to question the status quo. More info asap on time and venue. Contact EJC’s .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
WEB NEWS
** Twitter —EJC is plucking ideas out of thin air!! Username: ejcnet
** iTunes —Download EJC podcasts, including the EU4Journalists weekly roundup
Click here for the latest updates to the EJC Magazine
Posted on July 13, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under news.
Covering the G8: EJC prepares Italian journalists to cover L’Aquila summit
Maastricht - June 18, 2009
Fifteen journalists from Italy’s most prominent media outlets participated in a mid-June seminar to help them prepare to cover the upcoming G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy. The European Journalism Centre and European Climate Foundation organised the seminar, which took place at Villa Wolkonsky, the British Ambassador’s residence in Rome.
Robert Deane, deputy British Ambassador to Italy, opened the seminar, stressing the pressing need for the international community to focus on the issue of climate change.
The first session of the seminar focused on the ‘unequivocal data’ supporting the theory of climate change. Professor Carlo Barbante of the Inter-university Consortium for Environmental Science, Thomas Schneider von Deimling of the Potsdam Climate Institute and Sergio Castellari of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) led the first panel discussion, identifying the work that needs to be done to address this critical issue.
The second session focused on the expected costs of not adequately combating climate change. Giuseppe Deodato of ENEL, Roberto Longo of Italian Renewables Federation (APER) and Farida Bena of Oxfam International discussed climate change from an economic perspective and identified what steps would need to be taken to successfully address issues concerning the environment.
“Rethinking our model of development and rethinking energy technology is the way to ensure sustainability in our economic system, while creating an opportunity for recovery for all countries affected by the crisis,” Longo said.
Farida Bena stressed the need to transform the climate crisis into an economic opportunity for Italy. She said that Italy should further promote environmentally friendly policies such as creating incentives for increased energy efficiency, transferring green technologies to less developed countries and increasing its participation in international negotiations concerning the environment. Bena pointed out that more than 70 percent of Italian citizens believe that neither the private sector, the government, nor the Italian population do enough to fight climate change.
“...political will is key to the success of forthcoming international summits addressing climate change…”
Dimitri Zenghelis, Economic Adviser to Lord Nicholas Stern and author of the well-known 2006 Report on the economic costs of climate change, spoke in the afternoon session via video link from the London School of Economics. Mr. Zenghelis said that effective policies that promote fair competition in the marketplace are needed to make economies more environmentally friendly.
Corrado Clini, Director General of the Italian Ministry of Environment, refuted the idea that Italy is not involved enough in international negotiations concerning climate change and proceeded to present an overview of the Italian government’s preparatory work for the G8 Summit in L’Aquila. He said Italy is providing the necessary tools and funding to promote the development of innovative technologies in the energy sector. Mr. Clini added that he viewed this development as key to making progress in the international fight against climate change.
Stephen Lowe, First Secretary for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, said that political will is key to the success of forthcoming international summits addressing climate change, most notably the Copenhagen summit scheduled for December, 2009.
Anders Bjurner, Swedish Ambassador to Italy, said that tackling climate change and reaching an agreement at the Copenhagen summit will be among the top priorities of Sweden’s Presidency of the EU Council.
Maria Grazia Midulla, responsible for climate change issues at WWF in Italy, concluded the afternoon session. According to Midulla, NGOs play a significant role in raising awareness of climate change and this role should not be underestimated. She pointed out that 20 years ago, WWF was already highlighting the need for renewable energy sources.
Posted on June 18, 2009 by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Filed under projects.