2-day seminar in Pärnu, Western Estonia
January 9 - 10 2-day seminar in Paide, Central Estonia
February 20 - 21 2-day seminar in Narva, North-Eastern Estonia
March 13 - 14 2- day seminar in Tallinn
April 3 - 4In cooperation with the Estonian Center of NGO-s and Foundations
Participants: A total of 45 NGO representatives from all over the country
During two days NGO-s from different regions of Estonia were taught how media operates; how to interact with newspapers, radio and TV in a constructive way and how to build a positive image.
January 12 - 14In co-operation with Estonian business daily newspaper Äripäev
Participants: 10 business and financial affairs reporters
February 12In co-operation with the Open Estonia Foundation;
The Association of Estonian NewspapersParticipants: 50 people, including members of parliament, government information officials, courts representatives, heads of public-owned companies and journalists.
The aim of the conference was to discuss what are the main problems for media in accessing freely information of public interest and how to overcome them. While Estonian decision-makers on all levels understand media’s need to be informed and have access to information the system does not always work effectively in practice. The reasons for that include limited funds; under-stuffed public affairs departments; unprofessionalism of the personnel and lack of training. The seminar allowed the parties to have a constructive discussion and thus was an important step in a process of promoting understanding and more effective co-operation between media and authorities.
February 13The Estonian Media Center organized an open competition to identify the 1997 press prize winner and carried out the ceremony. The annual prize of 25 000 Swedish kroons was introduced in 1994 by the Bonnier Publication Group, one of the leading ones in the Nordic countries, to promote professional journalism in Estonia. This was the first year for the Estonian Media Center to organize this prestigious media event. The jury that consisted of the Editors-in-Chief of the five biggest Estonian national newspapers selected the winner out of 200 pieces by 39 journalists. This year the prize was divided between two reporters from a business daily newspaper "Äripäev" for an investigative report "Pharmacy Factory Does Not Produce in Moscow." This piece discovered a lie by a stock-company that claimed to have a production line in the capital of Russia. The jury highlighted investigative skills of the reporters.
February 16 - 20In co-operation with the Open Estonia Foundation;
The Thomson Foundation (Great Britain)
Participants: 12 journalists from national and local newspapers
Lecturer: John Wintersgill, The Guardian (Great Britain)
The aim of the course was to provide journalists with skills how to write in an interesting and attractive way about important but "boring" issues like democracy or international affairs and how to bring into such serious topics a human angle.
Feature is a new genre in Estonian media and the course was to help the participants increase their skills in this area. The practical work included: producing ideas; analysis of Estonian and British features; organizing and structuring of a feature; the writing of profiles, backgrounders, leaders and reviews.
February 25, 26
March 2,3This was an introduction course that gave 20 participants an overview of Internet tools and how to use them.
March 14, 21, 28Participants: 10 magazine editors
During three Saturdays ten editors from Estonian general interest, business and women magazines learnt how to write and edit magazine features; how to present materials and how to work with free-lance authors. It was a skill-oriented course. Trainers came from the Tartu University journalism department.
March 30Participants: 40 people from NGO-s, government and private sector
This one-day seminar was aimed at NGO leaders and PR professionals from government and private sector. The main emphasis was put on providing journalistic skills and know-how that is needed to produce newsletters. Topics included a role of a newsletter in an organization’s PR strategy; writing for a newsletter and Lay-out and Design in a newsletter.
April 5 - 7Organized by US Peace Corps Estonia
Funded by USIS
Participants: 100 high school students, 58 Estonian and 42 Russian speaking from 11 of the 15 counties
The primary purpose of the forum was to begin a dialogue between Russian and Estonian speaking students on issues of common concern so that they could better understand and learn from each other. Topics included democracy, economic development, environment protection, EU integration, multi-cultural affairs and mass media. The Estonian Media Center was invited to make a presentation on the role of media in society and to lead a discussion with students on the subject. As per a report presented by the organizers of the forum, it was a success and "helped to promote the reality not just the idea of an integrated and tolerant society."
April 23In co-operation with the Nordic Journalist Center
Participants: 50 Estonian journalists from national and local media
At the seminar topics like: is there a gender specific journalism? which are the dilemmas of modern journalism and how do they affect gender; the portrayal of women in Estonian and Scandinavian media texts; how can women make a better use of the mass media were discussed.
May 13Participants: 11 radio news reporters and editors from national and local radio stations
This was a practical skills training one-day seminar with the aim to teach reporters how to make professional radio news programs.
May 14Participants: 8 journalists and NGO representatives
This was a round-table discussion to identify how media can assist in combating corruption in Estonia; what are obstacles and how to overcome them.