Archive for 2010

VIDEO: The Thomson Foundation helps SABC prepare for the future

Published: November 29, 2010

The need to make daily television news programmes in 11 different languages makes the South African national broadcaster SABC one of most complex and demanding news organisations in the world.

So it was no surprise that Phil Molefe, SABC’s group executive for news, turned to the Thomson Foundation for training and support.

His brief was: ‘Make better television news’ and 15 news staff including journalists, camera operators and video editors were selected to take part in a three-week workshop run by Thomson Foundation consultant Laurie Upshon.

Said Laurie: “You start to realise the complexities of the organisation when you find out English is not the first language for many taking part in the workshop.

“We worked out a programme that would fully involve the craft people as well as the on-screen journalists, some of whom handled a television camera for the first time. Editors and camera operators wrote their own pieces and, by the end of the course, everyone realised that they had to work as a team to make great television news”.

As well as writing, the course took in use of graphics, interview and presentation skills and the regulatory and compliance issues that face today’s constantly-changing television news.

SABC reporter Christel Raubenheimer: 'You want television to come alive'

The TV news workshop was just one of a series of courses being run by the Thomson Foundation for SABC, building on a relationship that goes back over 20 years.

In the video above, SABC training manager Kieran Maree remembers: “In the early 90s, when there were so many politcal changes in South Africa, we needed to convert from a state broadcaster to a national public broadcaster. The Thomson Foundation were the first people we reached for.”

But his focus now is on preparing staff to meet the demands of a changing media landscape: “There are enormous challenges facing us as a broadcaster in Africa. We believe we have enormous potential and talent. Working with Thomson, we want to realise that.”

And as the video shows, workshop participants came away determined to meet those challenges.

Explains SABC reporter Christel Raubenheimer: “Sometimes you get stuck in one place doing it the same way you did yesterday. But that’s not the way TV should work. You want people to keep interested; you want television to come alive; you want the pictures to tell the story.

“… and that’s what the Thomson Foundation course did for me. It’s a must for any journalist who wants to become better at TV.”

• The SABC video was filmed and edited by Rob Finighan

Back to basics: Thomson Foundation trainer Laurie Upshon poses the simple but all-important question: 'What's the story?'

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Video spotlight: How the ENJN helps journalists prepare for tomorrow’s Europe

Published: November 22, 2010

Big names, big issues and getting to the heart of the story, that’s what the European Neighbourhood Journalism Network project is all about.

The ENJN Dublin conference on Media and Conflict was no exception. With the likes of Robert Fisk, Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin, EU Middle East envoy Marc Otte and over 50 reporters from inside the EU and its neigbourhood there was plenty to discuss.

Working groups discussed the role of women in conflict reporting, shaping the story and practical war coverage. The recommendations and suggestions for further assistance that emerged will help guide the EU and the ENJN project consortium, led by TF, in their mission to support journalists living in and covering conflict situations in the EU neighbourhood.

Dublin was just one of many activities undertaken by the ENJN team since its launch in 2008. With 20 practical in-the-field training sessions already held, and more to come, our reporters have travelled widely and worked together to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and political issues that unite – and divide – our region.

European Neighbourhood Journalsm Network

Over 50 journalists joined political leaders and leading media figures in Dublin to discuss the role of the media in times of conflict. CLICK IMAGE TO PLAY VIDEO

They’ve looked at issues from energy policy in Algeria to migration in Malta; conflict resolution in Lebanon to the politics behind the policy in Brussels. ENJN’s 200-plus participating journalists are all from major media organisations and the stories they produce during the field sessions reach a wide audience in the 16 neighbourhood countries.

Our conferences bring together reporters from across the EU and its neighbourhood, helping forge practical networks, supporting professional development and highlighting major concerns to politicians and development specialists.

The ENJN’s project website ties it all together, acting as a platform for the news generated by the training sessions, the ideas and recommendations from the conferences, and daily exchanges between over 900 members of the wider ENJN network.

• The ENJN Media and Conflict Conference was held in September, 2010, in Dublin. The European Neighbourhood Journalism Network is funded by by EU. For more details, see the ENJN website at www.journalismnetwork.eu

Ugandan journalists launch environmental group after seeing climate change take its toll

Published: November 14, 2010

Journalists in Uganda are not easily convinced that climate change presents an immediate threat to their country. The 33 journalists arriving for the climate change course run by Thomson Foundation trainer MARY PRICE were no exception.

But despite their initial reservations, the journalists became so passionate about the need for change, they decided to form the Environmental Journalists’ Association. Here Mary describes their dramatic change of heart.

All eyes were on the condom. It lay on a mountain of compost at the Mbale Municipal Council Compost processing plant.

Waste into compost is a fairly simple process which takes time, heat and a deal of rough treatment … hence the awe. How had this thing survived intact?

The journalists were baffled.

This is a Clean Development Project (CDM) in embryo. Funded by the World Bank it aims to turn the organic waste generated by the citizens of Mbale town into cheap compost and by so doing contribute to cleaning up the world’s atmosphere. Put briefly, well-managed waste means no gas emissions and that means cleaner atmosphere. Should the scheme be ratified in Bonn it will generate Certified Emission Reduction (CER) status and so money will change hands.

Try explaining all that to 33 journalists more interested in the mystery of the condom.

We were on the first of our field trips for the latest climate change course organised by the British Council (Uganda) and the Thomson Foundation, and funded by the Department for International Development (DFID – or UK Aid as it now likes to be called).

Mbale environmental officer Rhodah Nyarib speaks to the journalists about the achievement of the town's compost plant

The 33 were all experienced reporters and editors, carrying with them the cynicism and suspicion of the trade. My job for the Thomson Foundation was to deliver an understanding of climate change and the need for them to spread the word to a nation which is already feeling the stress of the shifting weather patters.

What soon became clear is their lack of faith in the willingness of official agencies to be proactive. This may not be entirely fair on those who strive for change, but it is the perception of most of the group. NATO is the mantra. No Action Talk Only.

No pressure then.

We left the compost plant and headed for a school to plant trees. Tree planting has caught on in Uganda. Over our week together we accounted for at least eight million trees being planted in the region we were working.

Everyone cheered up until we discovered that most of the planting is agro-forestry for firewood and building. Plant close, harvest quickly and then the whole lot goes up in smoke (CO2) again as fuel. You can’t blame anyone – wood is all people can afford to cook on and there is already a shortage that gets worse by the season.

Unlike Rwanda, where re-forestation works with native hardwoods, Uganda is hoping that fast-growing imports like pine and eucalyptus will do the trick.

Stuck on the road to Bududa. The bus carrying the journalists finally arrived at its destination high in the Mt Elgon National Park

We dug on and planted mango, avocado and orange. At least the kids would have fresh fruit. The children sang their delighted thanks while displaying a greater knowledge of climate change than any of the group.

The discussion about trees carried on as we rocked home on the washed-out road.

Our course was timed to coincide with the launch of a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative called Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC). Put briefly, with funds from DFID and the National Assembly for Wales (amongst others), it is an attempt to find solutions to offset the effects of climate change on a regional level.

It makes sense. At regional level, people know each other, know the local challenges and stand a chance of finding answers.

The launch took place in the poshest hotel in Mbale. No carbon from us we walked there arriving hot but smug. The 33 journalists set to work. The Welsh Minister, John Griffiths, and DFID’s Kate Wedgwood went down a storm. Lots of media material there.

The next day we headed for the hills to see how important it is to work with local knowledge. Easier said than done. Our bus got stuck. It took 40 minutes, endless advice and shouting from onlookers and the determination of at least ten men to shift it from knee-deep mud. We set off again for the Bududa district, where so far this year at least 350 people have perished in landslides.

After an hour’s struggle up a steep hill through the bananas and eucalyptus the group were questioning the point of our mission. But, as usual with these courses, it was the evidence of the locals that did the trick.

Matia village farmer Mulla Moses speaks of his losing battle to stablise his farmland. A landslide near here killed 350 people just months ago

Farmer Mulla Moses, of Matia village, does his best to stabilise the soil, as do 70 others like him in the neighbourhood. But pressure of people on the land make it almost impossible. The national density of people per square kilometre in Uganda is one hundred and twenty nine. Here it is between six hundred and a thousand. Seventy percent of all natural disasters in Uganda are climate change related.

The message and the need were getting home.

Local environmental officer Charles Wakube laid out the core of the dilemma. The Mt Elgon region is one of the most important in Uganda. It is a watershed and supposed to be forested. It is rich in wetlands and in the not-so-recent past was rich in biodiversity. But survival and economic development are strong competitors.

If the gang of 33 felt something at the beginning of the week, it was resignation. But gradually the mood changed. And in the end something snapped. What they saw and heard shocked them beyond their limits of tolerance. After much discussion and debate, they gathered together and decided there CAN be action beyond talk.

The 33 journalists decided to form the Environmental Journalists Association and left the course pledging to work together to get the message of climate change out in a way the people can understand.

We’ll follow their progress with interest.

15 journalists, 11 languages and a mission to steer South African radio through a changing media world

Published: October 27, 2010

By DEREK IVENS

What’s the best way to build an audience? Is a state broadcaster in danger of sounding like the government’s mouthpiece? Should a reporter stop and say “Good morning listeners” before launching into a story?

These are a few of the scores of questions which roused strong debate during the new Thomson Foundation training course for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

When the country had its historic change of government almost two decades ago, the Thomson Foundation was among the first overseas organisations to come and help create almost from scratch a public service broadcasting system which was, for the first time, free to report on stories and people that the previous regime had silenced.

Now we’re back, to work with journalists who want to modernise their news service at a time of rapid change and increased competition.

We’re on the 10th floor of the SABC skyscraper, which dominates the skyline in this part of Johannesburg. To the north there are green, affluent suburbs where people live a good life behind high walls and electric fences. But if you look further afield you might catch a distant view towards Soweto or other townships that have made headlines themselves over the years. It’s the contrasts which make South Africa so remarkable – and such a challenge for broadcasters.

And that’s reflected in the training room. Journalists have come from all over the country – from Cape Town & Durban in the south to the Limpopo valley in the north. There are fifteen people in all, speaking at least eleven languages. Some reporters have to work bi- or tri-lingually and they’re expected to sound professional all the time.

Much of the time they cover the activities of government, which provide endless headlines. But there are also intriguing stories such as the hunt for the “Pigspotter”, an un-named man who infuriates traffic police by using Twitter to post the locations of speed traps. And there are debates you might not hear in other countries and continents – like ‘what’s to be done about poachers who kill rhinos for their horns?’ And … ‘is it acceptable for a man to have three wives?’

On air: Producers and editors at work in an SABC studio

The course concentrates on essential skills such as writing, interviewing and packaging. But it’s also a chance for people in a country that has historically been quite isolated to listen critically to radio from around the world. They see how fast the media world is changing – and how dangerous it would be to lag behind.

Radio still counts in Africa. Although television and internet use are growing, it’s radio which is still the primary source of news and information for millions of people. Everyday stories have a real impact: Why has my village got no electricity? If teachers go on strike will I fail my exams and lose out on a good job? Broadcasting is very complicated here – SABC runs no fewer than eighteen radio stations, aiming to reach and to inform many different audiences.

The reality is that the modern listener wants bulletins and programmes which are not only accurate and up to date but also well presented. They want more human stories. More on the impact that high-up decisions have on people struggling to make ends meet or to get an education. More journalism which questions the authorities and holds them to account.

But they also want uplifting stories – like the one about the volunteers who literally went on their hands and knees to scrub hospital floors and wards when cleaners struck for more pay.

While some journalists are getting a chance to have some practical training, over the road others are creating the news and current affairs content for the national English-language station SAFM. The Thomson Foundation was invited into the production areas to offer analysis and ideas about the way ahead.

First up is the breakfast show AM Live. Caesar Malebatsi and Florence Letoaba form a classic male/female presentation team. The agenda is serious, and dominated by political and economic news. But the programme also comes alive during the sports bulletins, where South Africa’s love of football, rugby and cricket are well catered for. The aftermath of the FIFA World Cup raises some good questions, like what’s to be done with those stadia which now can’t attract a full house?

Derek Ivens looks on as two SABC reporters work on a story

At lunchtime it’s Midday Live – aiming to catch up with the day’s news. It could be farmers losing their homes and herds to wildfires. Or a new announcement of plans to deal with strikes and wage demands by public sector workers. In a country with a quarter of its workers unemployed, and an ever-rising demand for reform and better services, there’s a duty for journalists to question and inform.

Finally PM Live comes on air at teatime with a roundup of the news and analysis of the big stories in the rest of Africa.

There are great opportunities for journalists here. For example, stories involving women are starting to have greater prominence after being almost invisible for years. And the fragmentation of the radio marketplace, along with the rise of commercial stations, gives SABC an incentive to live up to its claim to be the nation’s ‘news and information leader’.

But it’s always going to be difficult to run a truly national radio network in a country with so many ethnic and economic fault lines. Input from the Thomson Foundation has covered everything from basic skills to programme review; from the role of regional bureaux to attempts to put the voices of ordinary people at the heart of the story.

The journalists of SABC are doing an important job in a big country, and it’s to be hoped that anything which helps them to do it with skill, confidence and integrity is a really valuable contribution.

• Thomson Foundation consultant and trainer Derek Ivens worked with SABC during a four-week assignment in October, 2010

More pictures from the Thomson Foundation/SABC training programme. Click images to enlarge.

Future Leaders: The class of 2010

Published: September 11, 2010

Future Leader visit to the House of Lords

Fact-finding visits by the Future Leaders included Google's London HQ, ITN's television newsroom and the House of Lords, where they met Baroness Dean (pictured centre) who is a trustee of the Thomson Foundation. Also pictured (back row, right) is course leader Lyn Hartman

For a month in August, 2010, ten talented young journalists from around the world embarked on an experience they will never forget.

The Thomson Foundation Future Leaders course aims to do exactly as the title suggests: equip media professionals with the skills and confidence to take their careers to the limit.

This year’s course was hailed one of the exciting ever, with the highly-motivated journalists working with some of the most respected and innovative names in the media world.

And, as they explain in this video, they left the course ready to make their own mark on the media.

Here are the links to blog posts that appeared during the course:

• The media world united: Thomson Foundation Future Leaders step up to receive awards
• IT’S A RAP: MC Amitabh on the future of news
• Deepika Bhardwaj: Just a month of training … but the lessons I learned will last a lifetime
• Mona Farah: Meeting so many leaders is the best thing that can happen to a journalist
• Manqoba Mchunu: It’s up to us all to nurture our potential as Future Leaders
• Misha Hussain: Can I take my skills to the next level – to be the front man of front men?
• How the media leaders of today are inspiring the media leaders of tomorrow

For more information about Thomson Foundation training, check out the About our Courses page. To inquire about the Thomson Foundation’s consulting and training services, please contact us.

• Future Leaders course video shot and edited by ROBERT FINIGHAN

How immersive journalism is bringing news to life in your own virtual world

Published: September 7, 2010

Immersive journalism allows the audience to enter a virtually-created scenario representing the news story. And as journalist and media innovator Nonny de la Peña reveals, the results can be moving and dramatic. This post first appeared on Memeburn,

Ernest Wilson, the dean of the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism, put it like this: “What if, after receiving the home and garden section in the morning, the reader could walk right into the section and visit a garden?”

This bucolic vision reflects one potential scenario for what we at the Annenberg school are calling “immersive journalism,” a new genre that utilises gaming platforms and virtual environments to convey news, documentary and non-fiction stories.

As a senior research fellow, I am prototyping immersive journalism stories, hoping to discover and create best practices for a burgeoning field that can capture audiences increasingly accustomed to experiencing digital worlds. In fact, I believe the profession of journalism would be remiss if it did not begin establishing best practices for using gaming platforms to tell news stories.

The fundamental idea of immersive journalism is to allow the audience to actually enter a virtually recreated scenario representing the news story. The pieces can be built in online virtual worlds such as Second Life or produced using a head-tracked head-mounted display system (HMD). An HMD is a lightweight helmet that has screens covering the eyes and tracks head movement to ensure digital imagery on the screens stays in perspective to create a sensation of having a virtual body in a virtual location.

Immersive journalism can also be constructed in a Cave, which uses full body-tracking technologies in a small room so that individuals can move their bodies around the space.

Video and audio feeds captured from the physical world are used to reinforce the concept that participants are experiencing a nonfiction story. For example, video is triggered at a key point in the virtual landscape to remind a participant that the computer-generated environment is grounded in a real news story. Scripted events that create a first person interaction with the reportage can also help create a feeling of “being there.”

Whether visiting the space as oneself or as a subject of the news story, immersive journalism aims to afford the participant unprecedented access to the sights and sounds, and possibly, the feelings and emotions that accompany the news.

In collaboration with digital media designer Peggy Weil, I have built several prototypes, some of which reflect my interest in covering human rights issues. Gone Gitmo, a virtual Guantanamo Bay prison built in Second Life, allows participants to explore a place that is inaccessible to the average American citizen and press. (In fact, the New York Times recently wrote a lengthy story describing reporters’ lack of access to the prison.) Gone Gitmo includes an experience on what it might be like to be detained, hooded and then imprisoned in Camp X-Ray. It also examines the ramifications of losing habeas corpus rights.

A scene from Cap & Trade, an immersive journalism report on the carbon market

Another Second Life prototype, Cap & Trade, is a news report on the carbon market that sends people on a journey to follow the money in order to try to better understand the complexities and human consequences of trading carbon credits. Cap & Trade was built in partnership with the Centre for Investigative Reporting and Frontline World and is particularly reliant on the excellent reporting by Mark Schapiro that appears on Frontline and in Mother Jones and Harpers Magazine.

A third prototype is based on the interrogation logs of Detainee 063, Mohammed Al Qahtani, who was declared tortured by the Bush administration. Built at the Event Lab in Barcelona with Mel Slater and his team, we use an HMD to put participants into the virtual body of a detainee who is held in what is referred to as a “stress position.”

An immersive journalism participant prepares to enter the world of a Guantanamo Bay detainee

When participants look around, they see a virtual mirror with a digital figure in that mirror who looks like a detainee and moves in unison with the participant. Participants also wear a breathing strap that programs the avatar to breathe at the same time as they do, further enhancing the sense of virtual body ownership. Throughout, the sounds of the Al Qahtani interrogation play as if coming from the next room.

While research data was not collected on this particular prototype, every participant anecdotally reported that their body was hunched over in a stress position, when in fact they were sitting upright.

Immersive journalism is distinct from news games in that a participant in an immersive journalism story isn’t playing a game but is placed in an experience where participation does not necessarily allow the participant the agency of choice. Immersive journalism also parallels a news narrative playing out in the physical world, much like a piece in a newspaper or segment on television, and while one might experience the story from different starting points, the story itself should not shift.

When the record industry refused to consider experience, i.e. how their audience was going to interact with music, they essentially gave Apple the right of way to build iTunes. The result was an extremely successful and robust environment that offers an entertaining, multilayered way to access music while also supporting Apple’s iPod music device. No doubt immersive journalism is nascent, but we hope to learn from the mistakes of the music industry which, unfortunately, legacy media seems well on its way to repeating. With iTunes as our model, we are concentrating on experience.

You can see videos about the prototypes mentioned in this piece and learn more about this burgeoning avenue of journalism at www.ImmersiveJournalism.com.

Nonny de la Peña is a Senior Research Fellow in Immersive Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. A graduate of Harvard University with twenty years of news experience she is a former correspondent for Newsweek Magazine and has written for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times Magazine. She is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker.