Kosovo journalists attend training in Iceland
The idea that "small is beautiful" usually relates to business, or to government - i.e. the idea that problems can be best solved in a small-scale environment. But two participants in an OSCE training course found that it related to them too.
OSCE media training
Sladjan Ilic, director of Radio Borzani, Brezovica and Bedri Elezi, director of Radio Kacaniku in Kacanik were the only two participants at the course in Iceland. Working with them was Lizabeta Palokaj, Media Training Assistant, in the OSCE's Media Affairs Department.
They participated in a four-day course organized by the former OSCE Press and Media Affairs Officer in the Gnjilane/Gjilan region.
Hands-on journalism education
"During the four-day training in Iceland, we learned about subjects ranging from newsgathering and editing to newscast broadcasting," said Elezi. "Most helpful for me was sorting the news, how the news is divided according its importance, how political issues are covered. Also the management training was very helpful for me. The training for me was a guideline towards professional journalism in electronic media."
The trainers must have felt pleased, as this is just what was being looked for in their training programme, held mainly at the Icelandic National Broadcasting corporation. The content ranged from media theory - looking at whether media should provide entertainment or information, what the audience expected, how media fits in a democratic society - to the practicalities of getting radio shows on air. That meant learning about newsgathering, writing, interviewing and presentation. The two trainees were also given an introduction to management techniques in running a radio station.
They also spent some time at Iceland's national newspaper, Morgunbladid, where they were shown some of the technical aspects of publishing a daily newspaper.
Journalistic professionalism was also part of the debate and the education; the Icelandic Journalists' Association invited Ilic, Elezi and Palokaj to a roundtable discussion to look at the role and benefit of a professional organisation which is aimed at safeguarding the interests of its members.
Ilic said: "I think the training was a huge success. We had an opportunity to see how professional media outlets are run and also to discuss in a civilised way with an Albanian about political issues and other topics."
Role of media in democratic societies
Political issues inevitably came up - but they were being discussed at the Icelandic Parliament where the three Kosovo residents were guests. Here they heard about Iceland's democratic traditions and met parliamentarians to talk about the situation in Kosovo and its future prospects.
The aim of the sessions - part of an ongoing journalism training programme run by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo as part of its support of the independent media - was to put the role of the media in context. Societies may differ, but the role of the media is similar, and it is up to the journalists, managers and owners to make the media professional and accountable.
"This training has helped me to organize my work better. Training with Iceland's state TV, radio and daily newspaper, and meeting with the Icelandic Association of Journalists as well as having the opportunity to assist in the Parliamentary debates, made me feel much more connected to media - which plays a key role in society," said Palokaj.