Published: 13 February 2013
Country: UK
Media Diversity Institute is pleased to publicise the results of one year-long project “Let the Roma Youth Be Heard”. During 2012 MDI provided a series of media training courses on storytelling, social media networking, shooting, editing and uploading for the young Roma, Gypsies and Travellers residing in the UK.
As a result of that, 18 participants of the MDI project have produced stories and videos; they have learnt how to write a good article and how to make a short film. But maybe more importantly they have learnt how to enter into media and how to have their voices heard and their stories published and known.
“Let the Roma Youth Be Heard” is finishing at the end of March 2013. So far MDI trainees have written around 100 articles, they have made several videos available on YouTube channel and one short film which portray the differences between poor and wealthy seen in London at the Christmas times.
At the beginning of the project, MDI’s Executive Director Milica Pesic, said to the young trainees: “When you become famous reporters, please don’t forget that you made your first journalistic steps with Media Diversity Institute”.
Only a year after, young Roma participants produced stories on Roma life and culture that can be access via MDI and Roma Magazine websites, Facebook page dedicated to “Let the Roma Youth Be Heard” as well as on its own YouTube channel.
The group of 18 young trainees has been taught and led by the well-known Romanichel journalist Jake Bowers. He has been working for the BBC television and radio, the Guardian, the Independent and many other publications.
Under the motto “in order to challenge the media, you have to become the media” Jake Bowers managed to equip the participants with the necessary skills to tell their community’s own stories.
One of the participants, Jamal Heredia Jimenez, explained why he wanted to be part of the MDI programme: “The way Romani and Traveller people are represented in the media is often very bad, but young people already have the access and equipment needed to challenge the way they are reported. This course will breathe life into the phrase“.
Amongst the participants of “Let the Roma Youth Be Heard” project were 15-years old Romani Romanian college student that wants to become a well-known journalist; a primary school teacher from East London, Slovakian Roma photography graduate and many others.
