This workshop was a real event in my life and probably one of my biggest successes this year. To tell you about it is easy on the one hand, but difficult on the other: easy, because it all went well (perhaps even better than planned) and I’m really pleased; but difficult to pick out the key points from such a mass of impressions. It’s very hard, but let me try.
The school of professional development and ethics for young journalists is the second project that I proposed running as part of Youth Year, and one for which I am personal responsible. At the first meeting of the Youth Year organizing committee in February I put forward two projects (the first was about equipping computer rooms in boarding schools for young people). Both projects were approved and the preparatory work began.
Why journalists in particular? Well, I wanted to run a project in Youth Year that was relevant to all of us – something as broad as possible in terms of changing our lives for the better. I’m sure that all (or almost all) young people are “FOR” the positive things in life, but journalists have more opportunities to draw attention to these things. So the choice was made in favour of young media workers, and the topic of ethics and values was suggested by life itself.
To say that I was nervous before the workshop would be a huge understatement. Yes, everything was ready and organized, but I didn’t know the workshop would go, what the atmosphere would be like, or whether I would cope with the role of workshop leader.
Virtually all the invited journalists turned up – one hundred people from 43 regions. They were a bit shy at first, but once the introductions and the formal part were over, the workshop got down to business…And then something happened. It was as if some inner barriers had come down, like something had broken free. The participants all seemed to realize at once that this was not just another get-together, that it was all very serious, and that what was expected from them was not the usual platitudes, but genuine lively responses to the issues being discussed. It was as if everyone had caught the general mood at once and responded to it, to the purpose of the workshop, the idea behind it. They reacted to the experts’ sincerity and depth of understanding of the problems facing young journalists today, and appreciated their willingness to discuss the most complicated and difficult issues of contemporary life.
Later on, as we were saying goodbye, the journalists told me the time they had spent with us was like a breath of fresh air for them, because they had finally found a platform for discussing the problems and issues that concern them, and with such experts too! They made no secret of the fact that the workshop was a big event for them, though at first they had thought it was likely to be a case of reporting back on what they had done for Youth Year. And then, suddenly, they find themselves amidst this wonderful exchange of ideas and opinions! The level of debate was very high and professional. And there was so much attention paid to the participants themselves, to their work, their thoughts and desires. This was a total surprise for them. We all found exactly what we were looking for.
It was clear that the subject of media ethics and responsibility towards readers and viewers and issues around professional reputation are of genuine concern to young journalists. They even carried on arguing and exchanging views during the breaks )).
It was super that the Young Journalists’ School was able to bring in such well-known and respected members of the media community as cinema critic and media sociologist Daniil Dondurey, senior observer on the “Izvestiya” newspaper and “Ekho Moskvy” radio station Irina Petrovskaya, editor, journalist and president of the nonprofit Glasnost Defence Foundation Aleksey Simonov, and director of the Russian branch of the International Centre for NGO Darya Miloslavskaya.
On Day 2 of the workshop everyone went to visit REN TV. There they had the opportunity to see one of the country’s top TV channels in action, to meet and chat to senior managers, and to take part in master-classes by REN TV’s top news journalists Mikhail Osokin and Marianna Maksimovskaya.
The emotions and quality of debate during that workshop were simply amazing, and I got a great kick out of leading the process.
But the Moscow workshop (the School’s second cycle is planned for St.Petersburg in mid-December) was only the first step. It’s good that that step has been taken, but it needs to be followed up by more steps. I got so many reactions from various corners of the country, so many positive comments in the regional press, and so many letters from people who would really like to take part in the workshop but weren’t able to! The more I think about that meeting, the more I realize that we need to everything we can to make these workshops an annual event, for this Youth Year project to continue into the future.
This will be very difficult, especially at a time of crisis. This year, the project was supported and funded by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs: Agency staff helped prepare and run the workshop. It’s too early to say how things will pan out next year. Whether we’ll manage to find opportunities to keep the Young Journalists’ School going is a big question. Bit I’m going to work on this and make every effort to ensure that this first step is not the last.
That’s it for now – see you in Petersburg!
