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Journalists on both banks of the Dniester want to surprise the audience with unique multimedia products

19 August 2021
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On 17-26 august 2021, journalists on the right and the left bank of the Dniester are taking part in the second stage of the mentorship program on latest technologies. The program which is carried out online is implemented by the Independent Journalism Center as part of the “Promoting Media Dialogue on Both Banks of the Dniester” project funded by the OSCE Mission in Moldova.

The mentorship program is meant to help members of mixed teams formed of journalists from both banks of the Dniester develop and finalize multimedia projects following the initial training “Journalists from the Right and the Left Banks of the Dniester Create Multimedia Content”. Only three out of seven teams were selected after the concept analysis stage. The winning teams received a financial support of EUR 1,500 each for developing their multimedia materials.

During the first stage of the mentorship program that took place in July the teams were coached on creating multimedia content. The coaches are two journalists with a vast experience in digital technologies – Gulim Amirkhanova, TV journalist and author of TV and online journalism training programs from Kazahstan, and Ana Gherciu, journalist and and Executive Director of Moldova.org. The two experts continue to provide qualified advice and assistance to members of the mixed teams during the second stage of the mentorship program due in August.

Ana Gherciu, the project expert, mentioned that the participants were curious and eager to learn as many new things as possible, which is very good news. “The first three training sessions that we held in July showed that team members had been thoroughly selected. They are all experienced journalists who only need some technical advice to identify the right format for the multimedia product and to use visual tools and elements that will enable them to create impactful materials”. During the august sessions the experts will assess each team’s progress and come up with recommendations for successful completion of the projects.

Contacted by IJC, the team representatives confirmed that they were in the intensive process of doing their “homework” to complete, together with the experts, the final details for their materials.

Irina Glusco, journalist, MIR Interstate Television and Radio Company, Tiraspol: “We have done all the filming for our material and with that concluded the primary, most difficult and pivotal part of the work. Now, we are proceeding to the next – also attractive, but, at the same time, complicated – step of identifying the right format, with visual multimedia elements and tools appropriate for the content. Hopefully, we can manage to complete everything in the next two weeks, so we can present the audience with an original, unprecedented multimedia product that we can be proud of”.

Viorica Tataru, TV8 reporter, Chisinau: “We are collecting information, thinking and rethinking the content, and analyzing… For creation is an ongoing process. Naturally, since we are a team, we all do this together, as a team. Unfortunately, however, we face certain obstacles related to the freedom of expression while preparing the material. I mean that a lot of people on the left bank of the Dniester refuse to speak in front of the camera or to reveal their name, even though we intend to address social issues. There will be incognito voices, and this will highlight a difference in mindsets, behavior and lifestyles between compatriots on the two banks of the river. As journalists, we would also like to have more freedom for ourselves. If we had freedom of creation and protection ensured when we go to the left bank of the Dniester, it would be an important step for us in this project. Cooperation with the team is what helps us and what we rely upon in this regard!”

Luiza Dorosenco, Media Center NGO Chairperson, Grigoriopol: “Our team intends to develop two multimedia projects. The first will be a short documentary; we have already done the shooting for it and are starting the editing. The second material will be a longread. We have done the interviews, but we still need to complete them with statistics, to adjust and detail certain aspects. We will do this together with our coaches during the next 2 or 3 sessions”.

The mentorship program is implemented by the Independent Journalism Center as part of the “Promoting Media Dialogue on Both Banks of the Dniester” project funded by the OSCE Mission in Moldova.

 

Photo: Mentorship training sessions