Training Course for young journalists and bloggers “Vaccine against hate speech on media”

THIS TRAINING IS FOR YOU IF:
– You are a young journalist / student of journalism / blogger / human rights activist living in Albania, Lithuania, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey or Greece,
– You are 15-30 years old,
– You are interested to develop in the area of creation of counter narratives to social stigmas and prejudices,
– You want to gain professional experience of media coverage in work with vulnerable groups,
– You want to contribute to creation of positive narratives of intercultural youth communication at the national and regional levels.

Mainstream and social media in the Western Balkans are highly politicized and often reinforce social stigmas and fuel inter-ethnic tensions. Young people, and especially young bloggers, activists and students of journalism are naturally playing a key role in shaping the media space, which will only increase with their professional growth.

This training will strengthen capacity and skills of young bloggers and students of journalism in combating hate speech through counter narratives and raising public awareness about the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the Western Balkans. At the end of the course, participants individually or in small groups will prepare a media product (article, blog post, video, photo report, etc.) which will be shared through the network of the No Hate Speech Movement in 44 European countries.

THEOBJECTIVES:
• To strengthen capacity of at least 25 young bloggers and students of journalism in the Western Balkans to challenge inter-ethnic prejudices and social stigmas through non-formal education and work with representatives of vulnerable and marginalized groups,
• To strengthen regional youth and media cooperation by creating a network of young bloggers and students of journalism in the Western Balkans, supporting the spirit of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office,
• To contribute to shaping positive narratives on regional inter-ethnic cooperation in the Western Balkans and support inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups through production of youth-friendly media content by the participants.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
During the training, the organizers will cover all costs related to accommodation and meals, as well as 70% of travel costs to/from Durres, Albania.