Innovation in Development Reporting: First Round Shortlist Selection Completed

Maastricht - May 21, 2013

After receiving more than 500 proposals in the first round of the Innovation for Development Reporting Grant Programme, the European Journalism Centre (EJC) has invited 43 applicants to submit a full proposal with supporting documentation by May 19.

EJC Director Wilfried Rütten asserted that making the pre-selection posed a rather formidable challenge: “We were very pleased to see that the vast majority of all story pitches we received were of excellent quality and would well deserve to be produced in any case. The proposals proved that if there is a deficit of development coverage in European media, this is certainly not due to a shortage of competent journalists. Accordingly, we had a difficult time making the shortlist decisions.”

The EJC trusts that the shortlist will yield reporting projects that cast the light of public attention on a number of otherwise under-reported development issues. Winning projects will be distributed through strong media channels in order to achieve optimal impact, and will represent the eight participating countries in a broadly proportional fashion.

The grantees for the first round will be notified on May 31.

All applicants who did not make it on the shortlist during the first call for proposals, or did not get around to pitching their development reporting idea in time, should keep the next submission deadline in mind. The second deadline to apply is on 2 September 2013. The Innovation in Development Reporting Grant Programme is calling in particular for pitches with a special angle on development, an innovative approach to implementation and presentation, and/or a focus on a deserving, yet under-reported topic.

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Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Website: http://journalismgrants.org

Facebook: http://facebook.com/journalism.grants

Twitter: http://twitter.com/journagrants

Posted on May 21, 2013 by EJC
Filed under news.

Poynter and the European Journalism Centre Launch New Training Partnership

Maastricht - May 8, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (May, 2013) – The Poynter Institute and the European Journalism Centre (EJC) are partnering to teach journalists the skills and values needed to create journalism for emerging democracies across the world. The latest collaborative program, focused on Indonesian reporters, is part of Poynter’s ongoing international effort to equip and inspire journalists to practice the highest standards of the profession.


“We believe strongly that good journalism improves democracies, and Indonesia is no different,” said Stephen Buckley, dean of faculty at Poynter. “That’s especially true for countries that are either struggling with the democratic process, or have embraced democracy only in the last decade or two.”

“The EJC looks forward to continuing our cooperation with the Poynter Institute. We see this as an important opportunity to share the highest standards of journalistic professionalism and ethics at a global level” says Wilfried Ruetten, EJC director. “We firmly believe that we can help reinforce the key role journalists play in society as watchdogs and guardians of the public interest.”

Poynter and the EJC will develop a 10-week training program for members of the Jakarta-based Indonesian Association for Media Development. “Strengthening Your Journalism With Clarity and Accuracy” will be taught online and on-site for 20 Indonesian journalists. The course will cover, among other topics, Journalism Values in the Digital Age, Accuracy in Sourcing and Data, and Clarity in Writing. 

As a pilot, the course will be taught in English through Poynter’s e-learning portal, News University. Students will attend live online lectures and chats, and complete weekly readings and assignments. Video and audio sessions provide opportunities for the group to reflect on major themes, and interactive exercises help underscore important concepts. At the end of the e-learning course, Poynter faculty will travel to Jakarta to lead a two-day workshop. Students who have successfully completed the e-learning course will be invited to participate in this session.

“The combination of Poynter in-person and online training is powerful,” said Howard Finberg, Poynter’s director of training partnerships and alliances. “What makes this project particularly exciting is the opportunity to work with a partner to increase its training capacity.” The second phase of the project, planned for 2014, will create a version of the course in Bahasa Indonesia, the official language of the country.

The project is funded through the MFSII instrument of the Netherlands Foreign Ministry. It is part of a much broader global five year project called Press Freedom 2.0 that includes Dutch‐based partners Free Press Unlimited, World Press Photo, European Partnership for Democracy, and Mensen met een Missie who are working in 11 countries on five continents.

In 2012, Poynter worked with the EJC on an innovative, three-month e-learning course for journalists and journalism students from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. “Reporting and Writing About Development in the World” helped prepare participants for the challenges of covering the political and economic issues inherent in international development stories. The course was funded by the European Commission’s V4Aid project, which promotes awareness of development issues in the European Union’s new member states.

About The Poynter Institute

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is an international leader in journalism education, and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, offers the world’s largest online journalism curriculum, with more than 250 interactive courses and 240,000 students. The Institute’s website produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world’s top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.

CONTACT:

EJC Project Manager .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
+31 43 325 40 30

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
+1 (727) 821-9494


.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
+1 (727) 821-9494

Posted on May 8, 2013 by EJC
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The EJC and De Persgroep partner for the RHoK Global hackathon on 1-2 June in Belgium

Maastricht - May 8, 2013

On 1-2 June 2013, the European Journalism Centre and De Persgroep, a leading media company in the Flemish/Dutch media landscape, will organise a hackathon as part of the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) Global events in Asse, Belgium.

Emergency Journalism, an initiative by the European Journalism Centre, focuses on bettering the newsroom information workflow during humanitarian crises. One of its core missions is to explore how technology could support journalists to quickly mine the relevant crowdsourced content when unexpected events such as shootings and extreme weather conditions threaten peoples’ lives.

At the hackathon, the organisers would like to create the foundation for a sustainable, open framework where news journalists can find the relevant news and social media contents in real-time. It will be a first step forward to establish a newsgathering/content-mining tool that can be used by various newsrooms, including small/medium-sized ones with limited resources.

For those interested in attending this hackathon, the registration is open at the RHoK Belgium website. 

For more information about Emergency Journalism and the hackathon, please contact Project Manager .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Posted on May 8, 2013 by EJC
Filed under events.

Bolivian journalism students learn press freedom lessons through competition

Maastricht - May 3, 2013

The university faculty team winners of the first ever European Journalism Centre (EJC) organised Investigative Journalism Competitions in Bolivia, were announced 30 April in Santa Cruz. Taking top prizes were the five student teams representing first place Universidad Evangélica Boliviana and second place Universidad NUR, both of Santa Cruz. Both schools will be part of a media visit organised by the Clarin Journalism School in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Hosted locally by the Bolivian Association of Faculties of Communication (ABOCCS), the three-day simulated mock investigative journalism competition focused on writing and interviewing style as well as featured embedded lessons in journalism ethics and issues related to press freedom.

Over 80 students and coaches from 14 ABOCCS-member Universities from across Bolivia participated in the competition. Bolivian students got the chance to enrich their university education by simulating the reality of the daily business of investigative journalists.

During three days the students came face to face with the reality of the work of an investigative journalist through engagement in a simulated case of drug trafficking.  Students had to resolve and later write a story about the case based on their investigations. Santa Cruz locals acted as sources of information for the participants based on their interviewing technique and attention to journalistic ethics.

“I think this competition supported the creativity, honesty and ethical behavior of our students and also emphasized the importance of finding a story through thorough investigation,” says Julvi Molina, president of ABOCCS.

A jury consisting of established journalists from cities’ faculties that participated in the competition rated the final reportages: Monica Arrien (La Paz), Franz Torres (Sucre), Betty Condori (Cochabamba), Maggy Talavera (Santa Cruz) and Monica Amarayo (Oruro). In their story evaluations judges strongly took into account the level of journalistic professionalism, the correct use of sources, adherence to journalism ethics as well as the thorough investigation of the story.

“The best experience was to realise the true level of responsibility that investigative journalists have, “ says Karen Hikari Chibana (Universidad NUR, Santa Cruz). “It is not only about resolving the case, but to also pressure media and society to keep on investigating and dealing with current issues.”

The competition was first successfully initiated by the EJC in Armenia in 2008 and is part of the EJC’ s five year Press Freedom 2.0 consortium global media development programming funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Our hope is that the students took away not only the technical and ethical aspects of investigative reporting,” says EJC Bolivia Country Manager Josh LaPorte, “but also a deeper understanding of press freedom law as the cornerstone of what enables investigative journalists the opportunity to uphold their society watchdog role”.

Posted on May 3, 2013 by EJC
Filed under projects.

The EJC launches Guide to Reporting Development for Bolivian journalists

Maastricht - April 24, 2013

This week with sponsorship and support from the European Journalism Centre, Fundacion para el Periodismo (FPP), a media education institution based in La Paz Bolivia, presented the Spanish language handbook version of “A Guide to Reporting Development”, which aims to act as a key resource for Bolivian journalists in the coverage and conduct of reporting on issues linked to human and economic development of society. The original version of the manual was written in English by British journalist Oliver Wates and translated, edited, adapted and localised by Bolivian journalist Isabel Mercado.

The guide consists of three narrative chapters. The first, “Development As News” aims to introduce the reader to the issues of development and stresses the importance and impacts of development reporting on society. The second, entitled “How Development Aid Works” discusses the organisations that work to promote the development of nations and how journalists can relate to them. The third and final chapter “Issues” addresses, from a journalistic perspective, localised development areas such as education, health, water and sanitation, women’s rights, climate change and governance, among others. The appendix includes statistics and indexes related specifically to Bolivia and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

“This manual is designed for journalists interested in writing about development without necessarily having experience in the field. Its purpose is to provide guidance on how to approach this issue and seek information, “says Victor Toro, President of the Board of Fundacion para el Periodismo at the launch of the guide in Bolivia’s capital La Paz.

“You don’t get people interested in ending poverty or getting girls into school just by caring passionately about it,” says the manual’s author Wates. “You have to know how to write about it in a way that interests them. Hopefully this will help Bolivian journalists to do precisely that.”  

The guide and its countrywide launch are part of the EJC’s multi-year commitment to media development in Bolivia, an important component of which includes increasing the local media’s capacity for societal impact. “The role media can play in bringing visibility to development issues is vital”, says EJC Bolivia country manager Josh LaPorte. “Decision-makers, society’s agents of change and the public at large, can be strongly influenced and pressured by timely, hard-hitting, compelling and factual development reporting.”   

The project is funded through the MFSII instrument of the Netherlands Foreign Ministry in The Hague.  It is part of a much broader global five year project ‘Press Freedom 2.0’ that includes Dutch-based media partners World Press Photo, Free Press Unlimited and Mensen met een Missie working in 11 countries on five continents.  

Posted on April 24, 2013 by EJC
Filed under .

Innovation for Development Reporting Grant Programme announces second deadline for submissions

Maastricht - March 26, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is pleased to announce that it has received more than 500 applications in the first round of the Innovation for Development Reporting Grant Programme.
 
“We are very happy to observe such a high media interest in reporting global development stories. Regardless of the outcome, we are very enthusiastic that over the past two months journalists and media organisations have taken a closer look at and really thought outside of the box when it comes to stories from the developing world. We hope that media houses will keep up this trend, as a well-informed public in the developed world can have a positive impact on policies for the developing world”, said Wilfried Ruetten, EJC Director.  
 
Over the next three weeks, the EJC will evaluate the entries and inform all applicants of the status of their application(s). Due to the large number of submissions, we will however not be able to give individual feedback to unsuccessful candidates. Shortlisted applicants will have one month’s time to submit a complete proposal and provide any necessary supporting documents. The first grants will be announced at the end of May.  
 
Everyone else whose best global development pitch is still on the shelf: don’t be discouraged. On the 3rd of April we will be opening our second call for applications. 
 
In order to give interested candidates sufficient time to prepare powerful proposals we will run a second, longer round over the coming five months, as opposed to the remaining two shorter rounds that were planned initially.
 
The second round to submit entries will run until midnight (24:00) CET on 2 September 2013.
 
The Innovation for Development Reporting Grant Programme (IDR) was launched in January 2013 by the EJC with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project aims to reward quality journalism and advance a new and distinctive agenda for development coverage.
 
A selection of state-of-the-art reporting projects of great impact and high visibility will be awarded funding in 2013. 
 
The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is a non-profit international foundation with the remit to improve, strengthen, and underpin journalism and the news media. This mission has two main aspects: On the one hand, it is about safeguarding, enhancing, and future-proofing quality journalism in Europe and on the other hand, it is about supporting initiatives towards press freedom in emerging and developing countries. This often includes creating the framework conditions for independent and self-determined journalism in the first place. To these ends, the EJC provides thematic training, professional capacity development, and a wide range of support activities for journalists.

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Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Website: http://journalismgrants.org

Facebook: http://facebook.com/journalism.grants

Twitter: @journagrants

Posted on March 26, 2013 by EJC
Filed under .

The School of Data Journalism: Europe’s biggest data journalism event announced

Maastricht - March 22, 2013

The European Journalism Centre, the Open Knowledge Foundation and the International Journalism Festival are pleased to announce the 2nd edition of Europe’s biggest data journalism event, the School of Data Journalism. The 2013 edition takes place in Perugia, Italy between 24-27 April as part of the International Journalism Festival.

A team of about 20 expert panelists and instructors from Reuters, New York Times, Spiegel, Guardian, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Knight-Mozilla OpenNews and others will lead participants in a mix of discussions and hands-on sessions focusing on everything from crossborder data-driven investigative journalism, to emergency reporting and using spreadsheets, social media data, data visualisation and mapping techniques for journalism.

Entry to the School of Data Journalism panels and workshops is free. Last year’s edition saw the launch of the Data Journalism Handbook - a free book showing how data can be used to improve the news. It featured a stellar team of panelists and instructors from the New York Times, the Guardian, Deutsche Welle, Duke University, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and ProPublica, attracted hundreds of journalists and was fully booked within a few days.

Below is the full list of the 2013 School of Data Journalism sessions and speakers.

Panel discussions

1. The State of Data Journalism in 2013 (24 April)
2. Data and Investigations: Collaborating Across Borders (25 April)
3. Data Journalism in Southern European Countries (26 April, co-organised with Ahref and
datajournalism.it)
4. Covering Emergencies in the Age of Big Data (27 April)

Speakers:

● Anthony de Rosa, Social Media Editor, Reuters
● Aron Pilhofer, Editor of Interactive News, New York Times Dan Sinker, Director, Knight-Mozilla OpenNews
● Elisabetta Tola, co-founder Formicablu, data journalism trainer
● Friedrich Lindenberg, OpenNews Fellow, Spiegel Online
● Guido Romeo, Science Editor, Wired Italy, Ahref
● Jack Thurston, writer, broadcaster and co-founder of Farmsubsidy.org and
Fishsubsidy.org
● James Ball, data journalist, Guardian
● Mar Cabra, multimedia investigative journalist
● Marko Rakar, president of Windmill, blogger and data journalist
● Paul Radu, Executive Director of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting
Project, Co-founder of the Investigative Dashboard concept

Moderators:

● Guido Romeo, Science Editor, Wired Italy, Ahref
● Liliana Bounegru, Project lead Data Driven Journalism, European Journalism Centre
● Lucy Chambers, Head of Knowledge, Open Knowledge Foundation
● Rina Tsubaki, Project lead Emergency Journalism, European Journalism Centre

Workshops

1. Excel for Journalism with Steve Doig (24 April)
2. Using the Twitter API for Journalism (25 April)
3. Making Data Visualisations: A Survival Guide (26 April)
4. Data Visualisation, Maps and Timelines on a Shoestring (27 April)

Instructors:

● Steve Doig, Knight Chair in Journalism, Professor, Walter Cronkite School of
Journalism
● Michael Bauer, School of Data, Open Knowledge Foundation
● Gregor Aisch, award-winning freelance data visualisation expert

The full description of the sessions can be found on the International Journalism Festival website and the registration form can be found here.
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Contacts:

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Data Journalism Project Lead, European Journalism Centre
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Head of Knowledge, Open Knowledge Foundation

Website

About the International Journalism Festival

The International Journalism Festival is the largest media event in Europe. It is held every April in Perugia, Italy. The festival is free entry for all attendees for all sessions. It is an open invitation to listen to and network with the best of world journalism. The leitmotiv is one of informality and accessibility, designed to appeal to journalists, aspiring journalists and those interested in the role of the media in society. Simultaneous translation into English and Italian is provided.

About the Open Knowledge Foundation

The Open Knowledge Foundation is a global movement to open up knowledge around the world and see it used and useful. Founded in 2004, it is an international leader in promoting open data and open content in all their forms – including public information, publicly funded research and public domain cultural content.

About the European Journalism Centre
The European Journalism Centre is an independent, international, non-profit foundation dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in journalism in particular and the media in general. Founded in 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, the EJC closely follows emerging trends in journalism and watchdogs the interplay between media economy and media culture. It also hosts each year more than 1.000 journalists in seminars and briefings on European and international affairs.

Posted on March 22, 2013 by EJC
Filed under events.

Data-based pilot study looks into characteristics of migration coverage

Maastricht - February 28, 2013

A fuller picture of migration journalism

A comparative analysis of media coverage of migration issues in five countries, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, showed that:

• at face value, mainstream news media are broadly adhering to journalistic standards when covering migration;

• migration is, however, frequently framed and presented in a way that may counteract the spirit of journalism ethics;

• the reporting agenda is strongly influenced by a national focus and has deficits where the big picture of migration is concerned.

The findings of the study were presented and discussed at the 5th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna on 28 February 2013.

Research teams at journalism schools and media research institutions in the five countries took four-week snapshots of migration journalism around recent elections, including the presidential elections in the US and France, the Dutch parliamentary election, and regional polls in Germany and Canada. They identified and analysed some 650 pertinent articles and categorised them by their framing of migration: which types of migrants were in focus, which related topics were discussed, and what overall tone did the articles adopt towards migrants and migration. The sources primarily represented agenda-setting national as well as regional and local newspapers and news magazines.

The pilot study worked under the assumption that mainstream media provide a window onto the most salient public perceptions of, and issues concerning, migration-related topics in the participating countries. In order best to work this out and to highlight the most relevant findings, the project adopted a comparative international perspective. The UNAOC and EJC plan to extend this exercise around migration coverage to other parts of the world as well as on related topics such as hate speech, diversity, and religion.

A summary report of the study can be downloaded here, and the full presentation is available for review here.

The study is a pilot project by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the European Journalism Centre, in cooperation with the University of King’s College (Canada), the Institut National de l’Audiovisuel (France), Deutsche Welle Akademie (Germany), Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (The Netherlands), and the University of Missouri (United States). The study received expert advice from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and was co-funded by the Open Society Fund to Counter Xenophobia.

For a collection of the visualisations used, please click here. For the complete study methodology, please click here.

About the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

The Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) was established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations. The UNAOC is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General which aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions, and to help counter the forces that fuel polarisation and extremism. Visit their website at: www.unaoc.org

Posted on February 28, 2013 by EJC
Filed under news.

The European Journalism Centre announces journalism grants for innovations in development reporting

Maastricht - January 21, 2013

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is pleased to announce that it has received financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance journalistic coverage of issues related to global development and the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Therefore, in 2013 the EJC will implement a grants programme supported by the Gates Foundation.

The Centre will provide a selection of innovative reporting projects with the necessary funds to enable journalists, editors, and development stakeholders to perform thorough research and to develop entirely new and experimental reporting and presentation methods. They will also be able to use multi-platform approaches and to think laterally across disciplines and techniques of journalistic storytelling. Award decisions, based on journalistic quality and merit, will be taken in complete editorial independence from the Gates Foundation.

The programme will launch three rounds of open calls for proposals and, in parallel, proactively solicit proposals from eminent media outlets focusing on the eight European countries with the highest development spending, namely France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Funding will cover direct expenses for journalistic research and study trips, possible technical costs for crews and equipment, data acquisition and analysis, visualisation, etc. Interested parties may apply for full or partial grants, excluding, however, salaries of permanent staff. More detailed information on the application procedure, deadlines, and the aims of the project can be found at www.journalismgrants.org.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, shares the conviction with the EJC that the lack of media coverage of international development issues in European news outlets is in part due to a lack of incentives for journalists and media organisations to cover development. The main aim, then, behind implementing the grant programme is to better enable quality journalism at a time where many media organisations face financial constraints and to stimulate new and creative reporting approaches.

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is a non-profit international foundation with the remit to improve, strengthen, and underpin journalism and the news media. This mission has two main aspects: On the one hand, it is about safeguarding, enhancing, and future-proofing quality journalism in Europe and on the other hand, it is about supporting initiatives towards press freedom in emerging and developing countries. This often includes creating the framework conditions for independent and self-determined journalism in the first place. To these ends, the EJC provides thematic training, professional capacity development, and a wide range of support activities for journalists.

Posted on January 21, 2013 by EJC
Filed under projects.

The 4th edition of CLICK ABOUT IT announces winners

Maastricht - January 2, 2013

Following the past three successful editions, the fourth round of CLICK ABOUT IT focused on the theme “Crises & Disasters”. This competition received over 2000 photographs from more than 570 qualified applicants from all around the world. The sub-topics were as follows:

• Natural disaster: floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts and other life-threatening natural disasters.
• Political uprising: Arab spring, occupy movements and other demonstrations protesting for change.
• Conflict: wars, conflicts and clashes at international, regional and local level.
• Financial crisis: signs of financial crisis and how the life of local communities is being affected.
• Development crisis: crises that are related to health, food, water, sanitation and education.
• Urban life: population growth, fast urban development and negative effects on environment.
• Climate change: signs of climate change in your backyard.

Two overall winners will be awarded with a reporting trip, organised by the EJC, to a post-disaster area in early 2013. Five runners-up will receive a 200 US dollar Amazon coupon or money transfer of the equivalent amount. Two honorable mentions were added for their significant work and will receive a 100 US dollar Amazon coupon or money transfer of the equivalent amount.

Overall Winners

Professional:

Jen Osborne, Canada



Amateur:

Somenath Mukhopadhyay, India



Runners-up:


Professional:

Emine Ziyatdinova, Ukraine

Sudipto Das, India

Ali Kaveh, Iran



Amateur:

Raniel Jose Castañeda, The Philippines

Pietro Facendola, Italy



Honorable Mention:


Sucheta Das, India

Gmb Akash, Bangladesh

The international jury and the European Journalism Centre would like to congratulate the winners and runners-up as well as all the participants who have submitted amazing photographic work for this competition. The quality and diversity of the submitted work was substantial, making this edition one of the best competition rounds so far.

Posted on January 2, 2013 by EJC
Filed under announcements.