Data-Driven, In-Depth, Multi-Platform Storytelling | 

An Alfred Friendly/US Embassy Workshop Series Coordinated by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia

EXTENDED DEADLINE for applications: March 4, 2019

Application Macedonia Storytelling Workshops 2019 AFPP

Participants in this series of five workshops will learn to tell more compelling and impactful news stories across platforms. The weekend workshops will take place in several regions in Macedonia from April to September 2019. Participants  will improve professional skills and deepen their understanding of what it takes to produce news stories that improve the functioning of government and civil society.

The training will include sessions on pitching story ideas, finding sources and relevant data; discussions of investigative, analytical, explanatory and solutions journalism concepts; interviewing, writing and fact-checking. There will be hands-on training in mobile journalism, data journalism, visual  journalism, and using social media in reporting. Each workshop will include case studies and discussions of ethical challenges. Content will be subject to change as participants provide feedback on what they want and need to learn. There also will be virtual sessions with trainers and participants for discussing story development and skill/knowledge development in between workshops.  

The 15 participants will be divided into five teams, with three members each. The first workshop concludes with a story pitch session, and each team will be expected to present a story in the final workshop that demonstrates the skills and knowledge they acquired during the program, using text, photos, video, data and data visualization . Participants attending all of the sessions will receive a certificate at the end of the program, and trophies will be given to the team that produces the best story, as evaluated by trainers.

The goal is to create a globally networked cadre of 15 young Macedonian journalists skilled in leading-edge digital tools and techniques and practicing at the highest standards of journalism.

Funded by the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, the training will be conducted by the Alfred Friendly Press Partners in concert with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. Alfred Friendly Press Partners is a 35-year-old nonprofit organization based at the Missouri School of Journalism with a fellowship program that has trained more than 320 journalists from 80+ countries since its founding in 1984.

The instructors will include award-winning professional practice faculty from the Missouri School of Journalism and experienced journalism trainers from Macedonia, with assistance from Alfred Friendly Fellows in Macedonia and the Association of Journalists in Macedonia.

Participants must be professional journalists 23-35 years old, have strong, demonstrable English language abilities, understand how to use spreadsheets and have at least two years of newsroom experience. The training will be in English and will be free.  Transportation and meals provided.

Here is a link to the preliminary schedule

Contact: David Reed, david@presspartners.org | Dragan Sekulovski, dsekulovski@znm.org.mk