The Journalism & Media International Center in conjunction with the Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University, Uganda have conducted a four-day workshop on Access to Information.
35 students took part in four intense days of learning the skills of getting information for their journalistic stories. Here participants with main trainer Tarjei Leer-Salvesen and speakers Charity Komujjurizi from African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and Guy Berger, former head for freedom of expression and media development in UNESCO. Photo: Gerald Walulya
The workshop was attended by 35 final year journalism students from Makerere University, Uganda. The training that started on Monday, 16 th September was concluded on 19th September, 2024.
The main facilitator of the workshop was Tarjei Leer-Salvesen, a Norwegian freelance journalist. He trained participants to understand how different national ATI laws work, and how their differences can be used to a journalist’s advantage. Using examples of his own experience, Leer-Salvesen also took participants through the different digital tools that can be used in accessing information.
Other facilitators included, Dr. Ivan Lukanda from the Department of Journalism and Communication, Edrine Wanyama from Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and Charity Komujjurizi, Programme Manager, African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC).
The course provides theoretical, legal and practical training in how journalists can gain access to information, and participants submit their own access requests. Photo: Gerald Walulya.
The trainers enlighten participants on how Uganda’s ATI law works and took them through practical steps of applying for information access in Uganda. The training culminated into filing of information requests by participants.
The workshop was also graced by Prof. Guy Berger, the former UNESCO Director for Policies and Strategies regarding Communication and Information who shared with participants an important background on Access to Information struggles in Africa. Prof. Berger was in Uganda to deliver a lecture on the link between African journalism, big tech, elections and data.
Nakyanzi Eve, one of the participants, commended JMIC for supporting the workshop and the trainers for the new knowledge they gave participants during the training. She said that the acquired knowledge had gone a long way in preparing them for a career in journalism. This was the fifth training in Access to Information that JMIC has supported at Makerere University. A total of 213 journalism students have befitted from such trainings in the last five years.
Take a step forward if you use the same password on several accounts! Another step forward if you do not change password once a Month, said Abeer Saady, a recognized international safety trainer affiliated with Journalism & Media International Centre (JMIC).
By: Elisabeth Salvesen
In the very beginning of September 2024, An-Najah University in Nablus together with JMIC at Oslo Met, arranged four days of safety training for Palestinian journalists in Amman, Jordan. Ten women and 4 men participated, all around 20 years old, and soon finishing last year of their journalism- and media education. Most of them also work in Palestinian media based on the West Bank. They live and work in the cities that are in the news just now because of the very difficult security situation; Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm and Qalqiliya, among others.
Most dangerous country
Palestine has become the world’s most dangerous country for journalists. In Gaza, more than 116 journalists have been killed since 7 October, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Quoting from the 2023 annual country report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), “In the West Bank, journalists are the victims of press freedom violations by both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli occupation forces.” According to RSF, Israeli pressure has intensified since 7 October, with an increase in arrests of reporters and obstructions to their work.
Comprehensive safety training
The safety training in Amman was a comprehensive course including physical, psychological and digital safety. It included risk assessment in hostile environments, checkpoints, caught in the crossfire, arrests, teargas, surveillance and counter-surveillance techniques. Crowd management, demonstrations and first-aid were also components. So were ethical dilemmas; are you a journalist or an activist? How to deal with children in warzones and catastrophes? Dignity and privacy of victims and victims’ families. To publish or not to publish? The journalist students eagerly discussed with the safety trainer and each other. Practical exercises were an integrated part of the training like for example Grab the Bag exercise. Saady repeated the importance of always having a bag ready and what to include in it. Do and don’t at checkpoints were played as a practical exercise. Some of the students played security forces/police and others were journalists on their way to work. The scenario was very close to their daily life experiences in the West Bank, and many had difficult experiences.
Digital safety
We are journalists, not suiciders, stressed the safety trainer. Identifying risk was a main part of the training. What are your main challenges working as journalists in the West Bank?
Restrictions on movement, attacks, arrests, killings, threats, smear campaigns or harassment at checkpoints like having to undress, listed the journalist students.
And to have your iphone confiscated, hacked or your sources stolen. An expert on digital safety gave a lesson on how to reduce your vulnerability; remember that iphones easily can be tracked, keep in continuously contact with a friend or colleague, change your daily route to work often and change other routines when possible. And be aware of drones.
How safe is your password? the expert asked. Check it on passwordmonster.com and probably you will be shocked and change it immediately.
First aid
First aid assessments were also a part of the training, and the main introduction was held by a medical doctor usually working in Gaza. Very soon he would be on his way back again to Gaza. Most of the young students had got some basic first aid training by the Red Cross. They now learned about using a tourniquet to stop bleeding, how to stabilize the neck and how to move a seriously wounded person. One journalist suddenly started crying and told of her own traumatizing experience working with a journalist team in the West Bank when someone started shooting at them. The next day, probably working all through the night, the safety trainer Saady had found a video of just that situation. Flashbacks are not unusual, and it is quite all right to cry and share your experiences with colleagues, the journalists learned. Debriefing of traumas is important when working in hostile environments. All participants discussed the video and comforted the crying journalist. Another participant had been shot in her leg, and the journalists discussed with the first aid trainer risk scenarios if shot in a leg, an arm or the stomach.
Realistic
The safety training was very realistic. When finished, most of the journalist students travelled back home from Jordan to the West Bank. Two days later, there was shooting at the crossing point from Jordan to the West Bank. This time three Israeli men were killed.
Recent tragic violence in Pakistan, including the bomb blast in a Peshawar mosque earlier this year, underscore the importance of safety training for Pakistani journalists and journalism students. Violent conflict few kilometers from the training site in the city of Lahore, also made this a strategic and practical exercise for organizers as well as the participants.
Group photo of all the participants of the workshop on Day 3.
The yearly journalists’ safety workshop under the title Ensuring physical and mental safety of journalists amid violent events took place at Forman Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan from March 14 th to 16 th , 2023. The yearly event is a collaboration between JMIC OsloMet and FCCU. Besides the training the workshop also had a book launch on day two. The book launch of Abeer Saady’s book on safety of women journalists took place on March 15 th , 2023, the second day of the workshop. It was the Urdu translation of the IAWRT Safety Handbook for Women Journalists, What If…?, Ms. Sabahat Afsheen is the translator of the handbook.
A total of 36 participants completed the certification, 19 female and 17 male. Four guests from outside Lahore participated in workshop from Islamabad and Peshawar. Three female participants couldn’t join due to personal reasons. The workshop focused on personal safety of journalists in violent situations.
Participants during a group activity on Day 2.
The workshop was planned within the context of recent tragic violence in Pakistan, especially the bomb blast in a Peshawar mosque in the middle of a highly secure zone in the city. But at the time of workshop the host city, Lahore was in the grip of violent conflict, happening a few kilometers from the workshop venue. This made the whole planning for the days a strategic exercise for organizers as well as the participants. The workshop was successful in many ways. The first and foremost of these is the commitment of the participants who strategically planned their participation on each of the three days. They reached the venue from different parts of the city and fully participated by sharing their daily experiences of planning and execution of their risk assessments, arrival and departure plans and sharing their perspectives about a developing situation.
They not simply shared the perspectives but also got into role playing, interplaying different roles in the process of reporting on violent events. Both physical and psychological safety were discussed and presented. The book launch on the second day of the workshop very well fit into the whole program. The importance of safety of female journalists amidst the digital media trolling and harassment was a very welcome element of the training.
Abeer Saady while giving a recap of the previously shared content on Day 3.
One big challenge in such events when these happen amid violent outbursts is to get the news regarding the event published in the media. It is not a must, but it is part of the exercise to ensure that a social impact news isn’t lost in politically hostile news cycles. Networking for placement of the proceedings in radio and print (hybrid) media was successfully done. The event got good news coverage. In this manner the information reached a larger audience. Impact multipliers are always important.
The immediate context of this workshop is also a big source of realization of the troubles working journalists go through in their day to day performance. Educators and students need to know the real life, everyday challenges of the profession. During the role plays and presentations each group had at least one member who had firsthand experience of the troubled area on the first evening of the workshop. This is an ideal, laboratory like situation where on the first day one gets a detailed introduction to potentially violent ecosystem. On the same day one visits a controlled scene of such a place and incorporates the experience during the second and the third day.
Participants while presenting their group activity.
The whole workshop and the book launch helped in a deeper understanding of potentially violent situations and the skills to deal with these. It also helped the trainees to a deeper appreciation of journalistic work. True, the perils of the field can be only understood in the field, but the workshop helped in reaching nearest to understand working in violent ecosystems, a need of the hour in politically volatile and polarized societies and systems of governance.
The Department of Communication & Digital Media at An-Najah National University organized a closing ceremony for the workshops carried out at the university campus on Wednesday 30th November 2022.
At the ceremony, certificates were given to the 69 students participating in the workshops, and prizes were also given to the students who made remarkable journalism works.
Participants in the workshops holding their certificates (Photo: Roea Zebin)
The workshops dealt with three topics: the first was entitled “The Flow of Global News Stream on Social Media concerning Environmental and Climate Issues“. The second workshop was regarding “The Investigative Reporting on Corruption“, while the third workshop dealt with the issue of “Access to Information“.
Students from An-Najah National, Arab American, Hebron, and Palestine Technical (Kadoorie) universities have participated in the third workshop, where the competing students prepared media materials in the field of access to information including press reports, videos, and posters.
Regarding the “investigative reporting on corruption” competition, the students produced a set of journalistic investigations that dealt with corruption issues, used research tools to collect data, analyzed and discussed them, and put forward possible solutions to those issues.
A set of works produced by students, short films and posters in particular, were presented.
Dr. Farid Abudheir declaring the results of the competition of the media production (Photo: Sameh Abu Alrub)
The ceremony was attended by Dr. Farid Abudheir, Coordinator of Joint Projects with JMIC at Oslo Metropolitan University, Dr. Hussam Abu Diya, Dr. Abdeljawad Abdeljawad, Mr. Ayman Al-Masri, Dr. Islam Halayka, Dr. Said Shahin, Head of the Department of Media at Hebron University, and Ms. Ramz Bsharat from the Arab American University.
Trainers and judges honoring one of the students who participated in the workshops (Photo: Sameh Abu Alrub)
Dr. Farid Abudheir has praised the participation of the Palestinian universities in the “Access to Information” workshop. He also stressed the importance of the three topics addressed by the workshops, especially in raising awareness of the issues of access to information, corruption issues, and environmental and climate issues. Besides, he considered that these workshops were aimed at spreading awareness of these issues and enhancing the student’s abilities to address them using media tools.
Not to mention, Dr. Abudheir thanked An-Najah National University including its administration and departments that helped in making these workshops a success. He also thanked JMIC at OsloMet, which supported the projects implemented by the Department of Communication and Digital Media at An-Najah National University. The meeting was concluded by taking group photos of the participants.
The Department of Communication & Digital Media at An-Najah National University in Nablus in Palestine organized “Access to Information“ Conference at the University on Monday 7 November 2022 in cooperation with JMIC.
This is the Fourth time The Department Organizes a Conference on Access to Information at their University in commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information declared by UNESCO in 2016.
Many of the participants. (Photo: Aseel Kilani)
The conference was attended by Mr. Nasser Abu Bakr, president of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Mr. Nasser Jawabreh, Director of Ministry of Information Office in Nablus and Mr. Ruben André Johansen, First Secretary of Political Affairs at the Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority.
Professors and students from Birzeit University, Palestine Technical University (Khadoori), Hebron University, Arab American University, as well as a number of Palestinian Journalists participated.
The participants called for the adoption of Access to Information law in Palestine, as it is a legal guarantee to protect the citizens’ right to knowledge, and the right of a journalist to obtain the information needed to develop democratic participation and achieve sustainable development in society.
The conferees also called for the development of effective mechanisms to spread the culture of access to, and use of, information, and the removal of all obstacles that prevent citizens from knowing what is happening and what decisions are being made regarding public affairs.
Besides, conferees warned that the blocking of information opens the way for the spread of rumours and hate speech. It also destroys one of the important bases in building a democratic society that protects human rights and establishes the principles of transparency and integrity in society.
Ms. Muna Hawash, Head of Communication & Digital Media & Radio and Television Departments, opened the conference by stressing the importance of Access to Information, considering that information is the basic element for a journalist. She considered that this principle is the cornerstone of journalism, and that the citizens’ right to know is a human, moral and legal right.
Dr. Farid Abu Dheir, coordinator of joint projects with JMIC/OsloMet, highlighted the cooperation, which extends to 23 years. He praised the activities and events that were carried out during those years and the benefit that was reflected on the participating students.
Farid Abu Dheir to the left. (Photo: Aseel Kilani)
Dr. Abu Dheir explained that the conference aims to integrate the concept of Access to Information in media materials and school curricula, and to seek the adoption of an exclusive law that protects the citizens’ right to knowledge.
Nasser Abu Bakr, president of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, emphasized that the syndicate exerts all efforts to ease the work of journalists and guarantee their right of Access to Information. He pointed to the challenges imposed by the Israeli Occupation on journalists, especially preventing them from covering events and violating journalists’ rights to cover events, in order to block Palestinians Access to Information.
Nasser Jawabreh, Director of Ministry of Information office in Nablus, explained that the Israeli Occupation is the biggest challenge for Palestinian journalists, making Access to Information an arduous issue.
For his part, Mr. Johansen at Norwegian Representative Office, expressed his gratitude for participating in the conference at An-Najah University in Nablus which witnessed harmful Israeli restrictions on the movement of the population, as today’s talk is about human rights, including freedom of movement.
Mr. Johansen stressed that the Norwegian government is proud to support the cooperation between An-Najah National University and Oslo Metropolitan University. He also mentioned that Access to Information is the key to the improvement of human rights globally.
Ruben André Johansen, First Secretary of Political Affairs at the Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority. (Photo: Aseel Kilani)
He pointed out that although all countries of the world pledge the citizens’ right to access information, many countries impose laws restricting this right. In addition, he stressed the importance of Access to Information in avoiding false information to which journalists are vulnerable. He also mentioned the protests taking place in Iran to activate this right.
Mr. Ruben concluded his speech with stressing on the importance of human rights in light of the Israeli occupation attacks, and praised 7amleh Foundation, which tirelessly works to preserve human rights. “I am sure that this conference will succeed,” he said.
Many of the participants. (Photo: Aseel Kilani)
In the second session of the conference, Dr. Saeed Shaheen, Head of Media Department at Hebron University, Dr. Islam Halayqa, Lecturer at the Department of Radio and TV at An-Najah National University, Mr. Emad Al-Asfar, Director of Media Development Center at Birzeit University, Ms. Kholoud Assaf, News Editor-in-chief of the Palestinian Wafa News Agency and Mr. Mohammed Daraghmeh, Correspondent of Elsharq TV, made presentation on experiences regarding Access to Information in Palestine.
The speakers stressed the importance of Access to Information as the main pillar of media work, and an urgent need for citizens in their private and public life. The participants called for not succumbing to the information-blocking policies imposed by governments and public and private institutions, and the need to seek information. Mr. Emad Al-Asfar pointed out that the existence of investigative journalism in developed countries proves that withholding information is a practice that is carried out in all countries of the world, including the Western world.
The students had their own session. (Photo: Aseel Kilani)
The third session was dedicated to young media students at An-Najah, Birzeit, Palestine Technical University (Khadoori) and Hebron universities. The session was moderated by Laith Hasson and Dana Al-Saifi from the Department of Communication & Digital Media at An-Najah National University. As the above mentioned universities were represented by Roaa Khuffash, Loard Hadeed, Dareen Hamd, and Raed Al-Sharif respectively.
The participants stressed the importance of Access to Information for young journalists and the need to remove all obstacles to the journalist’s work that prevent them from doing their job professionally and effectively.
More than 40 students and journalists received digital training on how to deal with threats and hate campaigns in Yemen by JMIC trainer Abeer Saady 12 September.
Professor Dr. Ali M. Al-Burihy, a professor of media and communication at Sana’a University, made an introduction about the kind of threats media workers face locally, especially women. He emphasized that such training is not often provided in Yemen.
The trainer Abeer Saady reviewed concepts and themes about the need for a journalist to feel safe and the things that a journalist should do through awareness of him- or herself and the surroundings.
The poster for the third training in Yemen.
She discussed how to work in local communities and ways to work in the right way, as well as how to work with the management during press coverage in areas with internal conflicts.
Saady also explained the method of threat analysis, risk management, and risk analysis. She discussed ways to face risks when dangerous threats occur, and ways to reduce threats. Comments and questions were also raised from some of the participants.
The training was facilitated by Noha Abdullah in the Cultural Media Center (CMC) for the third time. They have received a lot of positive feedback after the online training:
“If this indicates anything, it indicates the need for journalists for such sessions, especially in these circumstances that Yemen is going through. I really don’t know how to thank you all for this opportunity.”
Veteran Norwegian scholar & writer Professor Elisabeth Eide has delivered a special lecture to the class of Master of Social Science students enrolled for climate and environment journalism at the Department of Mass Communication & Journalism of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The lecture was held on online platform Zoom on Thursday 18th August, 2022.
During the lecture with Professor Dr. Maksudur Rahman. PHOTO: Mofizur Rhaman and Tamara Yeasmin.
Dr. Eide shared her experiences of working as an advocate of climate justice in different region of the world including South Asia and Bangladesh. She focused on climate crisis & possible journalistic interventions with a broad spectrum from gender to political issues. Eide explained how climate journalism should be different from traditional event-based journalism and suggested to focus on finding the root causes of the crisis.
Dr. Eide suggested the future journalists to work as an educator and should practice solution oriented journalism in the climate change field. She recommended youth activists to raise their voice in order to solve threatening environmental & climate issues as the younger generation are the most vulnerable one.
Professor Dr. Maksudur Rahman from the department of geography and environment. PHOTO: Mofizur Rhaman and Tamara Yeasmin.
One of the lecture participants Mukul Morshed said, ‘I think the recent devastating floods the country has witnessed was relevant to the discussion. What I liked most about the lecture is the fact how journalism was annexed with science particularly climate science to put some light on the issue.’
‘The aspect of the lecture that interested me the most was the gender aspect of the climate crisis. I never thought how worldwide it is men who are more responsible for creating the crisis and the women bear the brunt more than men,’ said Ashfaq-Ul-Alam Niloy.
Atiqur Rahman said he liked Eide’s bottom-up approach to the crisis as journalistic intervention. He said, ‘I doubt how much benefits will come by the initiatives taken by developed countries. Steps should be firmly taken by developing countries as well’.
Another student Safaet Hossain said, ‘the lecture was so engaging and enlightening that made me understand my role & responsibilities as a citizen in the fight against climate crisis.’
Dr. Elisabeth Eide is a Professor of journalism studies at Oslo Metropolitan University and former Director of Journalism & Media International Center (JMIC). She is also author & editor of a substantial number of books, chapters and scientific journal articles relating to climate change journalism and media studies. She is also a novelist.
Dr. Mofizur Rhaman, course teacher of Climate & Environment Journalism and former chairperson of Department of Mass Communication & Journalism of the University of Dhaka moderated the zoom session.
The students studying climate change. PHOTO: Mofizur Rhaman and Tamara Yeasmin.
The class includes Fahima Mahjabin, Sultana Razia Hoque, Abdul Malek, Tasnova Arefin, Muntasir Jihad, Mizanur Rahman, Tamara Yeasmin, Atiqur Rahman, Jihadul islam, Nurruzzaman, Jahid Hasan, Farzib Mahmud, Umme Kulsum, Rafia Tamanna, Aliur Rahman, Mukti Rashid Khan, Mukul Murshed, Monowar Hossain, Nadia Akter and Foyz Ahmed.
The Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University conducted a four day webinar on Access to information 15-18 August 2022. The webinar that was attended by 45 final year journalism students was supported by JMIC.
While speaking at the opening of the webinar on Monday 15 August 2022, the Head of Department, Dr. Nakiwala Aisha Sembatya, noted that Access to Information is important because everything done in the field of journalism and communication rotates around information. “Access to information is important because information is the key ingredient of all the things that you are going to be doing. If you do not have access to information it means you will not be able to do the business we have trained you to do properly”, she said.
Dr. Nakiwala said that trainings of this nature help to equip students to overcome barriers of accessing information. “We all know that the issue of access to information is a very critical one but is also very contentious because there are parties out there who may not want to make access to information as easy as we want to assume it should be. Trainings of this kind make you understand how to go about issues of access to information.” Dr. Nakiwala said. She commended JMIC for supporting Makerere University to offer these trainings.
Dr. Ivan Lukanda instructing the last session. PHOTO: Melanie Joyce.
The webinar was facilitated by both local and international facilitators. Mr. Toby Mendel, the Executive Director of the Canada based Centre for Law and Democracy discussed the Global trends in access to information. Mr. Edwine Wanyama, the Legal Officer from The Collaboration of International ICT policy in East and Southern Africa discussed a local perspective on Access to Information laws in Uganda.
Gilbert Sendugwa in Africa Freedom of Information Centre. PHOTO: Melanie Joyce.
Mr. Tarjei Leer-Salvesen, a Norwegian freelance journalist taught participants digital skills for accessing information. He demonstrated to participants how one can access information using online tools. Dr. Ivan Lukanda, a Lecturer at the Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University, took participants through procedures of accessing information in Uganda, using the Access to Information Act. At the end of the last session, participants were given application forms to go and make information requests in public institutions so that they can test the skills they acquired.
In May, Norwegian and Palestinian students collaborated at OsloMet, investigating the conditions of press freedom in seven countries
The Norwegian and Palestinian students worked together in small groups (Photo: Emily Solem-Young).
The Rig on press freedom is a journalistic end-of-year-project that has been an annual happening for the first year journalism students at OsloMet for more than a decade.
Professor Elsebeth Frey and her colleague Mathias Falch have arranged the same project at An-Najah National University in Nablus, Palestine in 2017 and 2019, and in May this year, Palestinians that participated in these workshops joined the Norwegian students during the Rig.
Farid Abudheir, Assistant Professor, Communication & Digital Media, An-Najah National University in Nablus in Palestine (Photo Oona Solberg) .
The Norwegians and Palestinians worked together in small groups with interpreters, writing news stories about the press freedom in Tanzania, Lebanon, Tunisia, South Africa, Austria, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
This is the first time OsloMet receives student visits from abroad during the Rig.
Marie Lauvdal collaborated with Reem Maree on an article about freelancers in Lebanon.
Reem Maree and Marie Lauvdal collaborated during the Rig (Photo Emily Solem-Young).
– It helped a lot when we were interviewing sources from Lebanon since Reem spoke Arabic. She also helped me translate various websites and videos, Lauvdal said.
Aziza Jaljouy worked with the Tanzania group.
– It makes you think about how different press freedom is in different countries, she said.
The Palestinian students enjoying the Norwegian spring after school (Photo Private).
Read more about the Palestinians experience of the Rig:
The final showcase of 6 photo stories by 6 Nepali photographers at the international storytelling workshop this year took place in The Yellow House in Sanepa outside Kathmandu 22 April 2022.
The event was hosted to showcase that the talented 6 Nepali photographers had given their heart and soul to bring out important stories from Nepal, the organizer photo.circle reported.
This years participants – 6 visual storytellers from Nepal.
The participants were Priyanka Tulachan, Samagra Shah, Tulsi Rauniyar, Bijayabar Pradhan, Sonam Choekyi Lama and Rojan Shrestha.
It was a special night, after a long time we hosted a public showcase and the audience turnout made it a successful event, according to the organizer: We were even lucky to have Shahidul Alam and Tanvi Misra in the audience. Their presence was encouraging and made the evening a memorable one.
Shahidul Alam, Person of the Year by Time Magazine in 2018.
Alam is the founder of Pathshala South Asian Media Institute and a Person of the Year by Time Magazine in 2018. Misra works with images as a photo editor, curator and writer based in New Delhi in India.
The audience made the evening a memorable one.
Photo.circle is a platform for photographers and the art community in Kathmandu, Nepal. The first direct cooperation with OsloMet and Pathshala was in 2010 and 2012. Since 2018, young photographer/photojournalists from Nepal have participated in the workshops in China and last year in Nepal. Photo.circle is the key organizer of the Photo Kathmandu festival in Nepal.
