Scholarship for Broadcast and Internet Journalists : Creative ways of informing people Netherlands

.Applicants from eligible countries (see below) can apply for a fellowship, whereby travel, accommodation and the course fee are paid for by the Dutch government.

Course Aims:
To strengthen the capacity of broadcast journalists/programme-makers from developing and newly-emerging countries and of the organisations they work for to compile and produce factual programming designed to inform audiences in an effective and attractive way about development-related issues and events of importance to their everyday lives.

Course Rationale:               
Broadcasting organisations working through radio, television and increasingly new media are an important source of information to people around the world;  a source of information that can help people to make informed decisions about their lives, improve their quality of life and contribute to the social and economic progress of the societies they are a part of. Broadcasting organisations with a serious mission to inform have to do more in their factual programming than keep their audiences up to date with the news of the day; they have to place it in a context, examine and encourage debate about its (potential) impact on their listeners and viewers and where necessary provide a follow-up. And beyond current affairs there is a whole range of  development-related factual programming which provides audiences with valuable information in areas that
are linked to the interests and aspirations they have in their private and in their working lives, to their rights and duties as individuals and to their place and role in society as a whole. Much factual programming  suffers from unimaginative treatment and an approach to the conveying of information that is routine and  shows scant regard for the information needs of the audience.  In an era of increased competition for audiences and of a proliferation of sources of information, the challenge facing journalists and programme- makers working in factual programming, is to make their programmes more effective and attractive. Part of  that challenge – most evident in the application of Internet as a source of information – is about encouraging and developing ways for audiences to interact with their sources of information.

 

Course Content:                 
Participants will explore a variety of formats used in contemporary factual programming and analyse their strengths and weaknesses and their suitability for different target audiences. Special attention will be given to the skills required to develop and present creative programme ideas, to carry out programme research and to produce  effective and attractive factual programming making appropriate  use of different formats. As well as carrying out a number of radio or television course assignments focusing on development-related issues of concern to their audiences at home participants from both media will also develop ideas and factual content for the internet ; in doing so they will learn to combine text, photo's, audio and video to best effect and to make use of the possibilities offered by the medium to interact with the target audiences as a means to gain feedback, give additional information, encourage discussion and debate,  and develop closer ties between the broadcasting organisation and its audience.

Considerable emphasis will be placed on teamwork and where appropriate on combined sessions involving group work and interaction between radio and television participants. Course assignments will be carried out using analogue and digital recording and editing equipment. After leaving the Netherlands at the end of the course participants will become part of a network of journalists and other experts through RNTC's website, intended to foster co-operation and the further exchange of ideas and experience in the field of factual programming.

Key Dates :
RNTC application deadline: 15th January 2010
Embassy NFP application deadline: 1st March 2010
NFP application deadline:  1st April 2010
The deadline for non-fellowship applicants is April 15th, 2009

eligible countries

Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Autonomous Palestinian Territories,
Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Burkina Faso,
Cambodia, Cape Verde, China (not Hong Kong and Macao), Colombia, DR Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau,
Honduras,
India, Indonesia, Iran, Ivory Coast,
Jordan,
Kenya, Kosovo
Macedonia, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria,Pakistan, Peru, Philippines,
Rwanda,
Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam,
Tanzania, Thailand,

Uganda*,

Vietnam,

Yemen,

Zambia, Zimbabwe.