NEWS published on 14 May 2019

Regional Learning Hub mobile journalism course is underway in Warsaw

Regional Learning Hub mobile journalism course is underway in Warsaw
Participants at Going Mobile, Polskie Radio, Warsaw

A total of 33 young journalists and social media professionals from Poland and neighboring regions have come together at Polskie Radio to learn how to make relevant and inspiring content using just their mobile phones.

The EBU Academy Regional Learning Hubs training course is first of its kind in the region and focuses on giving journalists the tools they need to succeed in a complex world. Where journalists used to need a plethora of equipment, they can now learn to create and broadcast their work using just their smartphone.

“The EBU Regional Learning Hubs act as a support system to members who wish to fill any gaps in training. Thanks to cooperation with Polskie Radio and the personal commitment of Marek Solon-Lipiński, Director of International Relations Department, the creation of the hub can help journalists from this part of Europe” say Nathalie Labourdette, Head of EBU Academy. “Warsaw is a natural place for this kind of project, thanks to its connectivity with the whole region, from Baltic States to Black Sea countries.”

The decentralization of the EBU Academy allows for a geographical focus at a local level, alleviating the bottlenecks in learning often caused by costs, time restrictions and lack of talent development. EBU Academy can reach larger numbers of local teams with its services and it allows greater representation from geographically remote countries, leading to more creative, innovative and responsive programmes.

Participants at the training already feel happy to have joined the course. Lauri Varik, a radio editor and host of a current affairs show from ERR Estonia says: "This course is very interesting as I did not know anything on filming. We need to put more videos on social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram."

Michaela Danelová from Czech radio says “I like the style of teaching of Mark Egan, lots of examples, very practical, great humour and giving us the unique tips that I can use immediately and that I did not know even though I am a photo journalist"

We were delighted to have the personal support of Andrzej Rogoyski, President of Polish Radio: "This partnership with EBU is a very meaningful one for our company, but I also believe that it is a significant step for broadcasters from our region."

The next hub will be hosted by Radio and Television Slovakia in Bratislava, and focus on Data Journalism. By the end of June EBU Academy will have opened three hubs in Central and Eastern Europe.