Workshop to launch children?s newspaper
TEHRAN: 5th July 2006 - Around 14 aspiring young reporters will attend a UNICEF supported workshop with the weekly newspaper Hamshahri Mahalle this week and learn new skills on writing, interviewing, taking photographs and design. They will also learn about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and how children can exercise their own right to freedom of expression.
The aim is to produce a monthly insert into the newspaper, written by and for children.
Two journalists from the UK with extensive experience in working in youth media will spend 6 days with the children and staff at Hamshahri Mahaleh, training them on various techniques. Maisha Frost and Arjumand Wajid both work for MediaWise, an organization that employs working journalists to conduct training all over the world on subjects such as ethics, children?s rights and journalists? codes of conduct.
The children will also each spend a day with a local journalist so that they can see the professionals in action.
Staff at Hamshahri Mahaleh will learn about mentoring and guidance, how to produce a children?s page and how to get the most out of young people.
?Too often, children?s views on important issues are ignored,? said Miranda Eeles, UNICEF?s Communication Officer in Tehran. ?This space will give young people the opportunity to speak out on issues that affect them, and it will be their chance to get their opinions heard.?
Hamshahri Mahaleh weekly has a circulation of around 300,000 and is one of Tehran?s most popular newspapers. Each district of Tehran has a different version - in this way the paper reflects the issues relevant to that area of the capital.
?Preparing the grounds for youth participation in city journalism is one of our main priorities,? said Naser Mousavi Jazayeri, Editor in Chief of Hamshahri Mahaleh. ?We believe that a good city life comes when everyone especially young people, have an interest in what?s going on in their district.?
The 14 children taking part in the workshop have been selected by Hamshahri Mahaleh after they advertised for volunteers for the project. They come from different districts of Tehran and some of them have already had their work published in children?s publications and Hamshahri Mahaleh.
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For more information please contact:
Miranda Eeles, UNICEF Communication Officer: 2259 4994 meeles@unicef.org
Bahareh Yeganehfar, UNICEF Communication Assistant: 2259 4994 byeganehfar@unicef.org
Young People's Media Network - Coordinator
c/o ECMC (European Centre for Media Competence)
Bergstr. 8 / 11th floor
D-45770 Marl - Germany
Mobile: +49 176 23107083
Email: cschuepp@unicef.org
URL: www.unicef.org/magic
Mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youthful-media
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