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(May 27 – June 5, 2024)

Introduction

Media and Journalism Webinars is a virtual certificate program that emphasizes experiential and hands-on learning through intensive workshops, webinars, mentorship, and interactive discussions with professional journalists for hands-on field experience. For the last 5 years, this program hosted over 37 experts and 150+ participants from 36 countries across the globe.

This program aims to prepare journalism students and young media professionals to succeed in their professional careers while fostering experiential learning by translating knowledge and skills into experience through research and article writing that lead to a meaningful understanding of journalism, communications, and the media professions. The webinars provide participants with profound information on up-to-date trend topics and rising opportunities as well as challenges which will empower participants to raise awareness and influence public opinion on various issues of local, national, and global concern.

“For three decades, on World Press Freedom Day, the international community has celebrated the work of journalists and media workers. This day highlights a basic truth: all our freedom depends on press freedom.

Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy and justice. It gives all of us the facts we need to shape opinions and speak truth to power. And as this year’s theme reminds us, press freedom represents the very lifeblood of human rights.”

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

The world witnesses an alarming decline in the level of peacefulness and crackdown of democracies respecting fundamental human rights of all citizens regardless of their political, cultural, religious, gender, and ethnicity. 2023 marked two decades of a constant decline in democratic global governance and a parallel trajectory, it has also been a year with enormous levels of unprecedented attacks on the freedom of the press, arbitrary imprisonment, and killing of media professionals.

The right to access free, independent, and credible information is one of the eight pillars of positive peace and it remains a constant norm of a thriving democracies. In the halfway through the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the increase of conflicts and eruption of wars on a global scale is highlighted as one of the most critical barriers. In this trajectory, press freedom and journalists play a detrimental role in documenting the status of peacefulness, reporting on various forms of atrocity crimes, and combating the increase of polarization within countries through fostering an inclusive, constructive, and gender-sensitive discourse.

Amid this fragile global status-quo journalists and media professionals continue to face arbitrary detentions and unlawful arrests in countries where the rule of law is mantled by hybrid and authoritarian regimes. Besides the increasing reports of incidents shrinking journalists` freedom, deteriorating well-being, and legal harassment, disinformation/misinformation trends, the latest advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence are creating a new frontline where media professionals are subject to other forms of violations.

While the increase of online media platforms has been facilitating convenient channels for citizens to receive information, the digital era dilemma also transformed the information landscape. During the last several years, press freedom organizations have been reporting an increasing trend of sexual harassment towards women journalists at online and offline mediums, wide-spread deepfake videos, and politically sponsored defamation campaigns undermining the credibility of impactful journalists. 2024 will be a historical year with the highest number of countries where citizens will the heading to polls for general and local elections. A free press and journalists who can report on democratic elections in the absence of any form of state or self-censorship are mandatory for independent and fair election processes.

In its 5th year, the Media and Journalism Webinars will host training sessions conducted by notable experts providing the participants with resources to tackle the contemporary challenges of journalism and human rights reporting. Additionally, panel sessions gathering notable journalists in their respective fields of video coverage, photojournalism, film-making, and investigative journalism aim to create a safe dialogue platform for participants building their careers through an exchange of professional know-how and transformative experience.

Program Description

The Media and Journalism Webinars certificate program is designed for a cohort of 40-50 journalism students and young professionals who want to make a positive social change as journalists and opinion builders through writing articles and stories on social, economic, political, and environmental issues. This interactive platform aims to reaffirm the role of a pluralistic media, inform young professionals about new challenges media professionals encounter, disseminate best practices of press institutions that empower journalists, and build partnerships to defend media from systemic attacks.

The JWF’s proposed program is composed of 5 virtual sessions over the course of two weeks will be a blend of engaging discussions with professional speakers and networking with other participants as well as mentorship. Our strategy is to expose participants to journalism and media through networking with media personalities providing an important opportunity to attain advocacy and collaborative skills from experts in journalism, media, and communications across sectors, including the United Nations. Participants will communicate, interact, and exchange ideas about journalism and media studies from multiple perspectives that enrich their learning experiences.

As a part of the program, participants are encouraged to write news and opinion articles on a variety of social, economic, political, or environmental topics based on research, interviews, and policy documents from open sources. Participants’ news articles will be published on JWF’s blog and shared with its global partners through mainstream social media platforms for global visibility. This hands-on experience will help participants develop professional and personal growth in media and journalism.

The Media and Journalism Webinars also promote diversity and multiculturalism through social and intellectual engagement among young professionals from diverse backgrounds worldwide. We believe that all participants have the potential to become great leaders and our goal is to inspire them with opportunities for positive social change. It is our shared responsibility to provide equal opportunity and resources for them to fulfill their potential and realize their dreams.

Program Goals

To provide opportunities for participants to meet professional journalists from different parts of the world
To foster experiential learning through hands-on projects in journalism
To transfer knowledge and skills into practice through research, interviews, and article writing on social, economic, political, and environmental issues
To protect and promote press freedom, human rights and strengthen democratic values
To support the right to access information through independent media outlets

Outcomes

Participants will learn from the practical knowledge and experience of journalists
Participants will have access to a network of media professionals, journalists, and experts
Participants will write new articles that will be published on JWF’s blog and social media
Participants will receive a Certificate of Participation upon completion of the webinars

Implementation of the SDGs and Targets

SDG 4.3 – By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university;
SDG 5.b – Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women;
SDG 10.2 – By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status;
SDG 16.10 – Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements;
SDG 17.16 – Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.

Program Format

The Media and Journalism Webinars consist of five virtual sessions. Each session will focus on a different contemporary topic in accordance with the latest media reporting and priority working areas underlined by the United Nations agencies and prominent media institutions. Webinars will take place in the form of an interactive discussion as the JWF team will host professional journalists and media experts in their respective fields.

The webinars will be held online via Zoom. Professional journalists and media personalities will discuss the following topics through an interactive dialogue with the participants. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, exchange innovative ideas, and share multiple perspectives on issues while building a network of journalists across the globe.

It is at the center of this program to engage in meaningful engagement and interactive discussions by addressing participants’ questions, comments, and feedback. Therefore, we expect our participants to actively join the sessions from places with strong internet connection and keep their cameras open, if possible, for successful interactions. While facilitating effective engagement is the priority of the program, we certainly understand some situations where visual engagement is not possible. Participation at four sessions is required to receive a certificate of completion.

This webinar series is open for all participations without any discrimination or prejudice based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, disability, religion, national origin, diversity of thought, and political ideology.

APPLICATION

Participation fee of this certificate program is $25 for professionals and $15 for students. Scholarships are available for students based on needs.

Click here to fill out the application form. Application deadline is 20 May 2024, Monday.

After filling out the form, you should receive a confirmation email by 22 May 2024, Wednesday latest with a link to submit your participation fee.

Please note that completing 4 out of 5 sessions is mandatory to receive a certificate.

CONTACT US

Journalists and Writers Foundation

Phone: +1 (646) 838-4882

E-mail: info@jwf.org

Websites: www.jwf.org | www.jwfAcademy.org