Serbia competition gives journalism students chance to study abroad
This summer, Belgrade University student Bojana Barlovac got the chance to discover what goes on behind the scenes of the BBC's famous "Hard Talk" show. Meanwhile, fellow student Tatjana Los was in The Hague, where she found that trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) seem much more relaxed when seen live than on TV.
Bojana and Tatjana were two of ten journalism students awarded prizes for their essays on Serbian politics and EU integration in a competition organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia during the spring of 2007. All ten won a month-long study visit to high-profile media outlets and academic institutions in the UK and The Netherlands.
In addition to their essays, the students were judged on their grades and an interview in English and Serbian. The judging process was carried out by professors and journalists from Belgrade.
The students' visits, sponsored by the Embassy of The Netherlands in Serbia, is part of a long-term project by the OSCE Mission, the aim of which is to improve political reporting in the country.
Establishing strong journalistic foundations
"Unbiased and professional coverage of current affairs in Serbia should contribute to better public understanding of the social transition and the EU integration processes that the country is experiencing," says Dragana Solomon, Head of the Mission's Media Department.
"It is crucial to enable journalists to experience the functioning of institutions and the influence of politics at the beginning of their career."
Bojana Barlovac, who spent a month in London with four of her fellow students, agrees: "The most important thing is that our perspective of Europe and professional journalism in developed countries was enriched during our stay."
Experiences in Europe
The programme in London included a week-long investigative journalism workshop at the City University, a two-week internship at the BBC and a week at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. The main difference between Serbian and British media, according to Bojana, is the organization of work: "It is impressive how everything is set to minimize the stress that goes with our profession and how enthusiastic people are in their daily work."
Tatjana Los was part of the group that spent a week in The Hague, carefully observing the ongoing war crimes trials. Coached by ICTY communications staff, the Belgrade University students wrote daily articles and news pieces, learning how to cover sensitive and complex issues related to the trials in a professional manner.
During the next three weeks, with organizational assistance from the European Journalism Center in Maastricht, the students attended a media innovations workshop, visited some of the most prominent news outlets in The Netherlands and attended regular press briefings at European Commission Headquarters in Brussels.
"It is good to see that the media in Europe are not so focused on politics, but mostly cover the daily life and problems of ordinary people," says Tatjana. "It was also somewhat surprising that their editorial policies are profit-oriented."
Broadening horizons
Apart from their study programme, the students had a chance to experience life in the EU. "The respect for diversity in London impressed me," says Bojana, who also managed to see the towns of Bristol and Bath. Tatjana and her fellow students did not miss the opportunity to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, to see the cathedrals in Aachen and Cologne, and even to travel to Paris for a weekend.
Bojana and Tatjana agree that the study trip was an important step for their future careers as it opened their eyes to the possibilities of professional journalism. Both think that the Mission to Serbia should continue the programme.
"Specialized education, combined with the opportunity to travel, to discover Europe and to meet people is something that is lacking in our studies," points out Bojana. "The Belgrade University Faculty of Political Science couldn't afford to organize such valuable study visits on its own."