Renewed support for journalist education

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given JMIC a grant that will enable us to continue the activities with partners in the Global South planned for the next two years.

JMIC´s aim is to build institutions for democracy and freedom of expression: ”Support of good practices in journalist education, independent media in vulnerable countries, protection of journalists working in conflict zones and journalists’ access to information. ”

In the coming year, several activities are planned. A workshop on extremism and social media is planned this autumn in Tunisia – as well as a regional security course next year. A regional security course is also planned in Uganda.

In cooperation with the Article 19 offices in North Africa, Eastern Africa and South Asia regional workshops on access to information are planned in Tunisia, Kenya and Nepal. We will also strengthen the cooperation with UNESCO.

The Rig on press freedom will be introduced in Palestine, a conference on gender and media is scheduled in South Asia, and cooperation will continue in Iran and Afghanistan. Besides, a regional cooperation project on visual journalism in China will continue. Development of teaching material is an ongoing activity, and a web portal will be prioritized.

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DOK17: Students in photojournalism present visual stories from China

AJ Gani´s exhibition in Tøihuset, Old Town, Fredrikstad.

During this year’s DOK17 the graduating students in photojournalism launched their book and exhibition “Meanwhile” consisting of visual stories from China. Several HiOA photojournalism alumnis were present both as participant in the festivals seminar program and as exhibiting photographers. Farzana Hossen, visual artist from Bangladesh and former participants in the HiOA´s photojournalism bachelors course, international reporting, showed her project “Only Because They are Women” on Bangladeshi victims of acid attacks in an open-air exhibition outside the Cultural House in the Old Town. Close by in Tøihuset the Bangladeshi photographer AJ Ghani displayed his project “Statless Untouchable” about the Dalits cast in Nepal post 2015 earthquake. Yan Cong from China exhibiting her work “The price of happiness” Commercially arranged marriage between Chinese men and Cambodian women is not uncommon in a village called Huanggang in south China. Both projects supported by the Fritt Ord-foundation student grant.

The DOK-festival in Fredrikstad, Norway, is the Norwegian national festival for documentary photography and photojournalism. The festival is an event that gathers professionals, students, lecturers and general public mainly from Scandinavia. During the two week long festival-period 8 – 10 open air Exhibitions are on display throughout the city centre and in Fredrikstad´s Old Town. In addition to exhibitions in pop-up-galleries and the exhibition hall Hydrogenfabrikken. During the weekend 150 – 200 participants gathered to  join seminars and lectures with international recognized photojournalists and visual storytellers in the House of Literature. This year’s line-up consisted of Damon Winter (the New York Times), Peter van Agtmael (Magnum Photos), Jonas Bendiksen (Magnum Photos), Luisa Dörr (VII), Joakim Eskildsen, Glenna Gordon, Espen Rasmussen and Warren Richardsson (Worl Press Photo winner 2016). The festival is organized by the DOK-foundation and hosted by Pressefotografenes klubb Norge (NPPA Norway). The HiOA faculty member Jon Petter Evensen is head of the DOK-festival organizing committee. Read more.

Students learn about press freedom

The Rig is a multimedia workshop where the students produce online stories about the current state of press freedom in different countries around the world. This year they examined Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Colombia, USA and Poland.

The aim of the Rig is to enable our students to grasp the meaning and significance of press freedom, while at the same time acquiring journalistic skills. Read more in Norwegian about the Rig and why we use this pedagogical tool at Department of Journalism and Media Studies at HiOA here.

The frontpage for this year’s Rig you will find here.

Some of earlier years’ Rig are available here.