The Daily IIJ

A Weblog by the International Institute for Journalism of InWEnt

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Putting reconciliation on the agenda

July 25th, 2008 · 1 Comment

The old saying that good news does not sell and bad news sells has led journalists to justify why they mainly cover conflicts without offering any remedy to conflicting sides. Does a photo journalist have the duty to rescue a burning man when covering riots? Is it the role of the media to help conflicting [...]

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Tags: Media Ethics

Ready for male-bashing

July 25th, 2008 · 3 Comments

‘Gender issues? Oh, you mean women’s issues right?’ This was the reaction
from most of my male colleagues when we were discussing gender issues
in the media yesterday. And their expressions bore a mixture of
boredom and tolerance, as if they were readying themselves for a
male-bashing exercise by a band of feminist journalists.

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Tags: Gender Issues

When bloggers talk to bloggers

July 22nd, 2008 · No Comments

It seems that bloggers always looking for bloggers. It happened for me when I heard about Stefen Niggemeier, a famous media journalist and blogger. I was very interested to meet a successful German blogger. His blog is called BILDblog, it observes and takes the role of a watchdog in regard to the largest newspaper in [...]

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Tags: Newsroom Diary

The paper that looks like a canteen

July 22nd, 2008 · No Comments

You will be forgiven if upon entering the building housing the newspaper taz, you for a moment think you missed the directions. Welcoming us at taz is an open canteen where clients have the opportunity to promote the already financially struggling paper by buying some drinks, souvenirs or internet services. But on proceeding beyond a [...]

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Tags: Newsroom Diary

Treat the receptionist with respect

July 22nd, 2008 · 1 Comment

One of the many challenges in journalism is to get the correct and reliable details of the story one is covering. Journalists are sometimes scared to cover certain topics which according to them are complicated. But to Susanne Koelbl, getting to do a story you were always afraid of might at the end of the [...]

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Tags: Media Landscapes

Somehow the past belongs to you

July 22nd, 2008 · 2 Comments

Sitting quietly in a corner of the noisy bar, Friederike is thinking about a question that I asked her concerning the way Germany deals with its past. The serious, young journalist remembers her feelings when she was a teenager. “I felt something like shame about my nationality”, says Friederike while mentioning what had happened with [...]

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Tags: Sneak In

Bundespressekonferenz: A press conference with a difference

July 21st, 2008 · 1 Comment

First and foremost, we give kudos to inwent-iij for this great opportunity to experience this German press conference which we may refer to as a ‘press conference with a difference’. Really, we have had an experience of the German media industry so far and we now have an insight on how the media works here.

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Tags: Media Landscapes

Making men speak about gender

July 21st, 2008 · No Comments

From the beginning it was clear that the gender group was going to be more of a refresher crash course for everyone of us. The facilitator had it all clearly and systematically laid out; from the basics of news writing, grammar and the use of verbs to more concrete discussions on gender reporting through feature [...]

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Tags: Gender Issues

Where Journalists invite Government!

July 21st, 2008 · 1 Comment

The world celebrated the 90th birthday of the iconic former South African leader Nelson Mandela, and Germany is expecting to receive the American presidential candidate Barack Obama who is expected to give a speech on German soil. Our visit to the Bundespressekonferenz could not have come at a better time when the eyes of the [...]

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Tags: Media Landscapes

Dealing with the past - a job for journalists?

July 21st, 2008 · No Comments

Sometimes, we hate choices. Its not just about the decision-making
process but whether or not we make the right one. It was a similar
situation ten days back when we had three two-day workshops
to choose from.

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Tags: Media Ethics