Call for the Autumn 2017 applications to the Perspektivy programme is now open

August 6 2017

We warmly invite journalists based anywhere in Russia, Eastern Europe or Central Asia with over three years experience to apply for the series of workshops on “Reporting skills in the digital era” organised by ‘Perspektivy’, (Программа “Перспективы”). The workshops aim to develop skills on news reporting and how best to promote it in the challenging environment of the digital era.

Perspektivy is a professional development programme for journalists and editors, initiated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Fritt Ord Foundation.

Workshop description
The core activity concerns the actual writing and reporting of news, as practiced by Reuters and other global agencies. Practical exercises form the core of the programme, with an emphasis on improving basic reporting and writing skills including accuracy, impartiality, speed, clarity and structure, whilst understanding the principles of developing text for web-media. Participants will also study modern media tools and techniques on promoting stories in the digital media.

The course will help journalists recognise their good habits and provide them the time and space to work on their weak points, within a mentored framework.

The focus of the course is on news writing and news reporting: techniques for structuring a story, tips to write clear and simple copy, analysis and headlines, reinforcement of the basic journalist qualities of balance, accuracy and speed, tips on conducting better interviews, techniques to recognize the relative importance of different sources, and the correct treatment of sources and quotes.

Participants will study the basic requirements of text required for web-platforms and social media, approaches for fact checking, modern multimedia tools for long reads, and techniques for promoting stories on web and social media.

Programme dates for the Autumn 2017 workshop sessions:

  • 15-17 September in Armenia: “Reporting news, reports, long reads for the media of the digital era”
  • 14-16 October in Georgia: “Theory and practice of interviews, working with sources of information for use in the digital media”

We are looking for:

  • Journalists who are in the middle part of their career with at least three years of professional experience
  • Journalists with a proven motivation to stay in the profession in the future
  • both journalists and freelancers working in any medium (print, online, radio or television),
  • bloggers with journalistic experience or degree
  • those whose working language is Russian and who are professionally based anywhere in Russia, Eastern Europe or Central Asia and produce stories for Russian-language media.

Additional information:
Working language is Russian. Participation is free of charge.

Expenses including travel costs, hotel-accommodation and meals, and small general expenses will be covered by workshops organisers.

Applications are now open.

You are welcome to apply for the programme until 6th August 2017 by filling out the application form. Sections of the application form ask for your general information, professional background, and require your preposition on a story idea that could transcend your regional interest.

Journalists working for a news organisation will need the consent of their editor to take part. Freelancers should provide evidence of their collaboration with one or more media organisations which publish their work on a regular basis. You will be asked to provide examples of your work.

Results will be announced on 14th August 2017. You will receive information on your e-mails provided in the application form.

Please note that the size of any uploaded files must not exceed 5 MB.

Click here to begin the application

Read participant’s feedback about Perspektivy’s workshop in Spring 2016
Read the interview with the main trainer

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