INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

On 29 April 2012, IMCK started with the first day of the workshop for journalists, photographers and cameraman to become good trainers in their line of field. Belgium trainer Gie Meeuwis came to Sulaymaniya to share his knowledge on how to train students on topics related to journalism. Gie Meeuwis is an experienced journalist and has been working as trainer of journalists since 1995. Seven participants from different media attended the course. During the course the focus was on how to set up a training for adult students. Gie Meeuwis gave the participants guidelines in how to get their knowledge across, how to evaluate themselves and their future students, and steps in what is important in setting up a training. The training of trainers course will continue for the next two days. See our Facebook for more pictures of the first day.

 On 22 April 2012, Kurds celebrated the 114th anniversary of the first Kurdish newspaper, Kurdistan , which was issued in Egypt by Miqdad Medhet al-Bedirxan. Journalists and writers gathered for the ceremony at the Women Media and Education Centre of Rewan magazine in Sulaymaniya. Among the invitees were Stran Abdullah (Kurdistan Nwe), Dr. Sherko Man Gorie, Yahya Omar and IMCK-director Judit Neurink. Judit Neurink was invited to join a discussion in the centre about the future of the newspaper (in Kurdistan). The discussion was introduced with remarks such as that Internet is a replacement for the newspaper and that Internet misses the same power as the newspaper. The rise of digital media is of great concern to some for the future of the newspaper. Decreasing revenues through advertising and paper-selling are a big threat to the continuing existence of newspapers. So how can the future of this medium be saved? Judit Neurink noted two things that are relevant to the...

On April 23 in Erbil, IMCK started with a five day workshop on human rights for the students of Media bo Khalk, the postgraduate course in journalism. Law lecturer and journalist Ruth Hopkins will teach the students more about human rights and its relevance to journalism. In Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq journalists still face a lack of freedom of expression. Journalists, activists and demonstrators still get beaten, intimidated, and detained according to Human Rights Watch . The workshop will provide information about the international legal framework of human rights, how human rights are relevant to social issues, daily life and the professional context of journalism. Analytical and a practical assignments will be given to the students. The workshop is made available with the help of the Dutch embassy in Baghdad. See our Facebook .

On 16 April 2012 Arabic and Kurdish students of Media bo Khalk, the IMCK postgraduate course in journalism, had a field trip in Sulaymaniya. Most of the media are based in the cultural capital of Kurdistan. The excursion was organized to visit four media outlets, so the students could experience the real working atmosphere of media. They got to build on their network by meeting editors-in-chief and other people in the industry. And they learned about the challenges they might face as real journalists. It was a good experience for the students who will start their in internship in the beginning of May 2012 at a variety of media outlets. Media The group of seventeen journalists in training were welcomed by PUK Media, Awena newspaper, NRT and Kurdsat TV. The first visit was with Karwan Anwar, the editor-in-chief of PUK Media and vice chairman of the Journalists Syndicate in Sulaymaniyah. Karwan explained the workings of the PUK website, for example that they operate in fi...

This is one of the questions presenter Ahmed Thgeel asks to students from Jamia University in Baghdad for Furat TV. Ahmed, a former student from the IMCK postgraduate course Media bo Khalk (Media for People) has started working as a presenter for the satellite channel since the beginning of 2012. IMCK is happy to see that a big part of its students finds work in the media industry. It was very soon clear that Ahmed has a talent for presenting. Mustafa Al-Ani, co-trainer in the course, says: "Ahmed has a natural presence on screen. He was never afraid of the camera, and talked very freely. Also from his choice of topics in presenting I noticed he was always close to the people of Iraq." In the program Ahmed is joined by again a former student of Media bo Khalk, Mohammed Monica. Mohammed, a freelance filmmaker, is this time in front of the camera as a guest on the show of Furat TV. His interview is in the 22 minute of the programme. The theme of the show is about fash...

Alumni from the IMCK postgraduate course Media bo Khalk (Media for People) visited the Mesopotamian marshes in the southern Iraqi province Basra in March 2012. The old students were on assignments for international and local media. During the late eighties and nineties draining of the marshes took place under the Saddam regime. Before 2003 the marshes shrunk to 10% of their original (20.000 km2) size. Nowadays they have partially recovered, but drought along with upstream dam construction and operation in Turkey, Syria and Iran have hindered the process. The alumni went to the city of Chibaish, the Central and Hammar Marsh to see how people were living there and the problems the area faces. After finishing their education about 70% of all students found work in print and broadcast journalism in Iraq and outside. Munaf Al Saidy (27) is a talented print journalist and photographer for the German news agency Deutsche Welle . See the photo-story Munaf Ghanim has made for DW about...

    In close cooperation with the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil, IMCK has organized two workshops of a day to inform journalists about the Kurdish Iraqi heritage, and to stimulate them to think about the subject in a journalistic way. On the 4th of April, Director of the Suleymaniya Museum gave a lecture and IMCK trainer Khidher Domle gave a training on the importance of the historical heritage for journalists. How to report on the national heritage, how to find out what is still left and where, how to find out what the policy is of the authorities in Kurdistan, how to inform the public about the importance of their national heritage and about the ways to stop buildings from crumbling still more. For more pictures visit our Facebook .  

The second part of the workshop to improve the media of the KDP organisations for students, youths, scientists and women has been finalized on the second of April 2012. In total twelve participants received an IMCK certificate.  IMCK offered two workshops of three days in Erbil to make the media of the KDP organisations more attractive for the target groups they are meant for. During the first workshop the focus was on the current quality of the publications, and to asses what the participants needed. Through giving them tips and lectures IMCK improved the skills of the attendees for the second workshop. The second set of three days was conducted to evaluate the changes since the first workshop.   IMCK's senior trainers Khidher Domle and Ako Mohammed worked with the participants on improving the quality of stories, and choosing stories that are more interesting for their readers. One of the KDP-participants said: "I learned the importance of short-news, journal...