Description
The project concerns activities which will engage the local media in the active and constructive protest against discrimination based on nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, disbaility as well as discrimination against people remaining outside the so-called “norm” (e.g. former prisoners). Across 16 voivodeships, in towns with population below 70,000, 28 two-day workshops for newspaper, radio and television journalists will be conducted. The tutors, by providing information and skills, will alert and sensitise the participants to the problems of people vulnerable to exclusion, discrimination and the violation of their rights, so that the subsequent publications are fair. The tutors include: anti-discrimination coaches, reporters writing about the postcolonial world, different cultures, the issues of minorities in Poland (LGBT, former prisoners), and representatives of minorities – ideally, residents of the given voivodeship. The participants will create a website promoting the cause.
Summary of project results
Media have a strong influence over public opinion and shape social attitudes, hence the way they broadcast content about groups exposed to discrimination is so important. Media messages are often full of stereotypes and are oriented at the so called click-through rate, therefore the quality and reliability of presented information is often of secondary importance. Local media, according to the grantee, often ignore subjects related to minorities and to the problem of discrimination. The aim of the project was to engage local media journalists in an active and constructive opposition against discrimination based on ethnic origin, race, religion and sexual orientation, as well as against discrimination towards people outside of the so called “norm" (for instance people with incapacities, former prisoners). In the effect of the project 180 local media journalists increased their competences within reliable approach to the problem of discrimination. In the frames of the project 15 two-days workshops for press, radio and TV journalists were organized in 15 locations. 3 training courses took also place in Warsaw (8 days in total) for nearly 100 journalists from all over Poland. Project's webpage, as well as a fanpage was launched where information on anti-discrimination subjects is regularly posted. 17 texts by the participants were also published as a direct result of the training courses and workshops. Thanks to the knowledge and skills acquired, the participants started to pay attention and became more aware of the problems of people at risk of exclusion, discrimination and violations of their rights, which in turn resulted in a reliable media coverage. Courses provided were run by antidiscrimination trainers, reporters writing about the postcolonial world, other cultures, problems of minorities in Poland (LGBT, former inmates) and by the representatives of minorities. The role of the partner organization was to help reach local journalists and recruit people to participate in the workshops, as well as to coordinate cooperation with the local media. 180 journalists benefited from the project.
Summary of bilateral results