INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

Al Jazeera journalist Mustapha Zraid started a 4 day training on interviewing and raportage making for TV.The training started on Thursday, September 29 at IMCK in Sulaymaniya. During the training participants will learn how to conduct an interview and make a reportage for TV. There are 13 participants coming form 5 different TV stations, namely KNN TV, Gali Kurdistan TV, Nalia TV, Speda and Payam.

International trainer Jenny Smets started a 5 day training in photo editing. The training started on Wednesday, September 28 and is held at the Xendan office in Sulaymaniya. Smets is a Dutch foto editor who has worked for several Dutch newspapers. During the training participants will learn how to use photos in news items and how photos can clarify a news story. In total 15 photographers and designers from different newspapers, magazines and websites such as Wena Megazine, Chawder NP, Xezan Megazine, Speda TV and Rudaw, took part in the training.

Oil, gas and water are important issues in Iraq. Yet they are hardly covered in the media. IMCK, in cooperation with the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Masallah and Kirkuk Journalists Group wants to work on improving the knowledge of journalists on the subject, and stimulate journalists to become specialized in natural resources. IMCK signed a contract with NPA to organise 3 workshops on the subject, to be held in October, December and March, in Erbil. Journalists from KRG, Baghdad, Basra and Kirkuk working on economics, for newspapers and audio visual media who are specialized in economic reporting will be invited to take part. The workshops will result in a website and possibly a book.

Al Jazeera journalist Mustapha Zraid started on September 23, 2011 a five day workshop on TV reportage and interview for TV-journalists from Arabic Iraqi TV stations. The workshop is the second in cooperation and coordination with the Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DC4MF). Participants come from all over Iraq; they work for stations in Baghdad, Basra, Dijala and Kirkuk. The workshop will focuss on how to make reportage about people, and about issues that are important for people.

For those who already have a basic knowledge on making info graphics for TV, international trainer Ceasare Schuit started a five day training at the mediacentre in Sulaymania. Participants are from different TV stations in Iraqi Kurdistan. They will be taught how to better use the combination of different softwares to make info graphics for TV. Ceasare Schuit is a TV designer specialized in making info graphics, who works for different clients in the Netherlands.

International trainer for IMCK Joris van de Kerkhof opened a 3 day training at Newroz radio in Sulaymaniya. The training, which is an on the job training, started on September 15, 2011. Van de Kerkhof is a reporter and trainer working at NOS Radio in the Netherlands and has trained with the IMCK in Iraqi Kurdistan for several times. Newroz radio is a government station, which does not focus on politics. Instead, it proclaims to produce programs aimed at its listeners. The station broadcasts from 7 AM to 11 PM and every hour there is a news bulletin. Furthermore it broadcasts programs about social matters, religion, health and health care, sports and traffic. During the training the employees of Newroz radio are taught how they can make more programs aimed at listeners.

Editer-in-chief Salam Ibrahim of Kirkuk Now called his reporters from Kirkuk for a meeting to the IMCK office in Sulaymaniya. Kirkuk Now is the first independent website for Kirkuk, set up by IMCK. During the meeting on Thursday 15 September, 2011, eleven reporters were present. They discussed the achievements of Kirkuk Now so far and talked about possible improvements.

On Thursday 15 September the board of the IMCK held its first meeting with its new boardmember Fatah Zakhoye. He was a Minister of Culture in the former Kurdistan government of Sulaymaniya. Chairwomen is Parwa Ali, vice-chair is Asos Hardi. Other board members are Kawa Mohammed, Rebin Rasul, Aram Saeed. Another new member, Srwa Abdulwahid, could not be present. The meeting took place at the IMCK office in Sulaymaniya.

Seven Kurdish editors in chief and IMCK sent an open letter to the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani and the Kurdish president Massoud Barzani urging them to work on journalists' safety. ,,Journalists no longer feel happy and secure'', the open letter says, as attacks on journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan are increasing. The letter was written after the attack on Awene director Asos Hardi, and refers to hundreds of the incidents against journalists that took place since the demonstrations in Iraqi Kurdistan of early Spring. ,,The work of journalists and their freedom are in a crisis that will affect the reputation of the Kurdistan region'', the letter says, ,,and that will draw international attention''. The editors in chief and IMCK warn that if the attacks do not stop, and if the Kurdistan Journalists Law is not applied as it should be, freedom of speech will be in danger. They ask the presidents for a legal investigation of those cases that involve attacks

International trainer Joris van de Kerkhof started a 3 day training at Radio Garmiyan in Kalar. Van de Kerkhof, who is a reporter and trainer working at NOS Radio in the Netherlands, has trained with the IMCK in Iraqi Kurdistan for several times. The training which started on September 12, will take place on the job at the radiostation. Radio Garmiyan in Kalar is a part of the Kurdistan Islamic Union, but does not want to be involved in politics. The goal of the station is to stimulate civil journalism and focuss on education. The station was set up in 1997 and has 17 people working for it, as well as several volunteers. The station broadcasts 12 hours a day in both Kurdish, Arabic, Farsi and English. It is the most popular radio station in Kalar. According to Joris van de Kerkhof  "it was very rewarding to see the new knowledge directly applied."

International trainer Ceasare Schuit started a workshop on making info graphics for TV for editors of TV stations in Baghdad and other Arab Iraqi towns. The five day workshop started on Saturday September 10, 2011 in the training hall of IMCK in Erbil. The twelve participants come from all over Iraq. The training is a joint project of IMCK and the Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DC4MF). It is meant to provide Iraqi TV with staff that can make info graphics, thus enhancing the quality of the Iraqi  media. The workshop is the start of a more regular cooperation between IMCK and DC4MF, as the latter intends to reach out to Iraqi media through IMCK. Ceasare Schuit is an experience TV editor who specialized in making info graphics. He is secunded by IMCK co-trainer Ako Mohammed.

The team of Statt Consulting has briefed bloggers from Suleymaniya, Rania and Kalar on the background and effects of illegal immigration. IMCK organised a round table for the bloggers in its office in Sulaymaniya, on Thursday September 8, 2011. The briefing was done by the same team that already informed TV-makers of the Kurdish channels Speda and Zagros.

IMCK in cooperation with Statt Consulting organised two briefings on the subject of illegal immigration for reporters of the TV stations Speda TV and Zagros TV. The briefings took place in Erbil, on September 6, 2011. There were 3 speakers. Renee Le Cussan (Regional Programme Officer) spoke about the perspective of destination counties and the social, political and legislative issues surrounding irregular migration in destination countries. Salih Amir (Online Liaison Officer) gave a description of effective communication strategies in the online world regarding irregular migration. And Hazhar Taha (Media Liaison Office) talked about traditional media efforts to highlight irregular migration in the Kurdish media.

IMCK condemns the attack on Asos Hardi, director of Awene and vice-president of the IMCK. Hardi was attacked in the early evening of August 29 , 2011 - the last day of Ramadan . Hardi is not the first journalist in Kurdistan to be attacked. The Metro Centre to Defend Journalists has extensively reported on this phenomenon. He is, however, by far the most prominent journalist it has happened to. According to IMCK director Judit Neurink "this attack creates an atmosphere of fear in which nobody feels save anymore."   .