NET-MED Youth Celebrates 2018 World Radio Day!

With the support of the NET-MED Youth project, young people in Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia celebrated World Radio Day under the overall theme of “Radio and Sports” this year. Read more about their activities and the views they shared!

Jordan: Young reporters gain skills on sports coverage

On 11- 15 February, ten young radio staff and volunteers at university radio Yarmouk FM took part of a sports reporting course that focused on key elements of event coverage, writing, interviewing, broadcasting, social media, and working in mixed zones and at press conferences, as well as on increasing diversity in sports reporting. A key component of the training unpacked gender stereotypes, for instance facilitating discussions on how trainees “would cover a female sporting event, and how they would change stereotypical images through their reporting”, explained  Rabbi Hamamsah, freelance news correspondent and one of the trainers at the course. The audio packages produced in the by young reporters will be broadcast by Yarmouk FM.

Reflecting on the experience, Nebras Al Qaisi, a second year journalism student at Yarmouk University noted: “This training has allowed me to gain more diverse skills. Now I feel comfortable in conducting interviews around sports events. In university classes, we only gain theoretical skills, but this workshop has offered us lots of practice. This training is very useful for our future careers!”

In turn, on 25 February, a World Radio Day celebration was held at the Faculty of Mass Communication in Yarmouk University. Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohammad al Momani, Minister of State for Media Affairs, the event brought together over 200 guests for the official celebration focused on this year’s theme of “radio and sports”.  Mussab Al-Laham, Jordanian footballer for Al-Ramtha SC and the Jordan National Football team; Diana Khasawneh, West Asia champion in pole vaulting; and Batoul Aranaot, founder of the BOOST initiative to support sports and athletes in underprivileged areas, participated in a lively panel discussion, which was moderated by Ro’ya TV presenter Nadeem Dawahreh.  

Both the training and the World Radio Day commemoration were supported under NET-MED Youth and the Support to Media in Jordan project, which is also funded by the European Union and implemented by UNESCO.

See photos of the training and the World Radio Day Celebration in Jordan here.

Morocco: Associative radios take the lead!

FMAS/E-joussour, a member of the Moroccan NET-MED Youth Working Group, coordinated a packed programme of events between 10-13 February, in collaboration with associative radios Air du Mboa, Sala Web Radio , Salam Media , Kech Radio , Web radio  Missour, Sawt Ouarzazate, Mères en Ligne and Radio Izerfan.

Activities included the organization and coverage of a football match held in Casablanca between Moroccans and players from sub-Saharan countries, under the theme of "Sports as a lever of integration and fraternity”, broadcasts of radio features and interviews focused on sports fostered by civil society associations in rural communities, women in sports and the impact of sports on youth education, and the set up of a studio at a school from which students hosted programmes. Video portraits on urban sports, sports and tolerance, sports journalism as a profession and the highlights of the World Radio Day celebration in Morocco were also produced.

See photos from the celebration in Morocco here.

Videos :

https://www.facebook.com/portail.ejoussour/videos/1793031100731866/

https://www.facebook.com/portail.ejoussour/videos/1802358183132491/

https://www.facebook.com/portail.ejoussour/videos/1800611016640541/

https://www.facebook.com/portail.ejoussour/videos/1800678363300473/?hc_ref=ARTDgKHgcLv6ubf6rT8sYofCopESKmYJHaghYYNX9oUeo4GOvj_mWt_zVaxeEzz0H6w&pnref=story

Tunisia: Radio, youth and local communities

A forum organized under a traditional nomadic tent in the town Douz in South Tunisia, looked at the space that associative radios and youth have in the Tunisian audiovisual landscape, and highlighted the role of associative radios, regulation and self-regulation in advancing media independence, pluralism and diversity. It was supported by NET-MED Youth, the associative radio Nefzawa the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA), and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Tunisia. Through diverse parallel sessions, the forum examined the relationship between youth and radio, the place of associative radios in the audiovisual bill in Tunisia and issues related to their sustainability, the links between radio and sports and the promotion of gender equality. 

Also featuring a theatre play created by Radio Nefzawa, the celebration was attended by over 80 participants including youth, civil society practitioners, media representatives and parliamentarians, local authorities and media development organizations. Abir Betahher, a 23-year old young woman working with radio Nefzawa said “I am happy that the celebration of World Radio Day is taking place here in Douz. This is very significant for young journalists in the regions inside the country. I have learned a lot since I started my experience at the radio. In three months, I participated in four trainings. I feel I have blossomed and my skills have improved. Before, I had no idea about community media and their important role they have to play in the country”.

A truck transporting a mobile studio ensured the celebration’s direct media coverage, and content was also shared with other public and private radios.

Palestine: Radios join forces to implement World Radio Day campaign   

In the West Bank and Gaza, five radios joined NET-MED Youth in a campaign focused on diversity in sports coverage, gender equality in sports and peace and development through sports coverage. They invited young sport reporters to speak about their experience, while also featuring young sports players and decision-makers.

“Sport awareness and education should begin from the youngest age, as it plays a crucial role in spreading the values of peace and tolerance,” said Taghreed Al Omour a 35-year old, sports reporter from Gaza that took part of these efforts. In turn, Remah Mahmoud, a 23-year old, sports player and football trainer from the West Bank noted that “Media and government bodies play a major role in improving people's perception of women in sport. Women, just like men, are making achievements in this field and the media should highlight them more”.

A video spot was highlighting the story of two female sport correspondents from Gaza was also launched, and an article was published in “This Week in Palestine Magazine” to raise awareness about this important date.