Wroclaw, Poland was the venue for the second project week of this year’s ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism. Over the course of three days, participants from four countries gained insights into climate journalism in Poland and Ukraine and produced their own multimedia reports on “Covering Climate Crisis”.
The second project week of the 8th ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism took place from July 2 to 6. , 2023. For the participants from Denmark, Georgia, Austria and Ukraine it was a reunion after the first project week in February in Vienna.
While in previous years the second week was held in Lviv, Ukraine, this year the choice fell on Wroclaw, Poland. This was due to the fact that it is currently impossible to hold the project in Lviv due to the Russian war of aggression.
Climate, culture and cuisine
The theme of climate journalism was chosen to raise awareness of the importance of the climate crisis and to strengthen the participants’ journalistic skills in this area.
The Ukrainian climate journalist Mariana Verbovska-Tusiak was one of the lecturers. She not only taught the participants important aspects of climate reporting, but also gave them practical tips for their own journalistic work. Her conclusion: Unfortunately, climate journalism in Ukraine is not yet widely covered in the media, not only because of the war. But perseverance and well-trained journalists are making a difference and putting the issues on the agenda – so here, too, a change is slowly taking place in the media houses.
In addition to working on the content, the students also had the opportunity to explore the city of Wroclaw. This included a guided tour of the impressive old town where participants could learn more about its culture and history. The ISMJ concluded with a dinner of local culinary specialities.
An overview of the projects:
This time, participants had just three days to research topics and create their own multimedia reports. They produced work on solar energy, the importance of clean water and the impact of fast fashion on the climate crisis:
- Fast Fashion and clothing dispose
- The Odra(ma) – Waters at risk
- Solarize! The hottest way out of fossil energies
Conclusion
The second project week of the 8th ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism 2023 was undoubtedly a success. It not only offered the participants the opportunity to develop their journalistic skills in the field of climate journalism, but also to gain intercultural experience and to network internationally. It is precisely this intercultural exchange that is at the heart of the project, as it enables participants to learn about new perspectives on a topic and to broaden their own horizons.
For more impressions and pictures of the project week in Wroclaw, please visit our partners at the OeAD Cooperation Office Lviv.
A follow-up report on the first project week can be found in the news article “How does journalism deal with the climate crisis?”.
About the ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism
The ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism was jointly established by the Journalism & Media Management study programs at FHWien der WKW, the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv and the OeAD Cooperation Office in Lviv in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian War to strengthen the connection between the two countries and as a sign of support for Ukraine. Since the second year of its existence, the Danish School of Media and Journalism and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs have also participated as additional project partners.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), the OeAD Cooperation Office Lviv/Lemberg, the OeAD-GmbH, the City of Vienna and the Cultural Section of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA).
Further information about the ISMJ – International School of Multimedia Journalism and all previous project works can be found on the project website at https://multimediajournalism.eu/.