VIKES Joint Study Trip to Nepal

In September, we took seven journalists from the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a joint trip to Nepal. The trip was part of our EU project and it was carried out in collaboration with the VIKES local partner Centre for investigative Journalism of Nepal. 

The eye-opening journey took the journalists to the worst affected areas by the 2015 earthquake. The group interviewed local journalists, members of the discriminated Thami community, victims of human trafficking, as well as human rights activists.  Some of the most memorable moments were the interviews with the residents of the women’s shelter and the visits to the camps of the earthquake and landslide survivors. 

The preparation of the programme started already in April this year, when the reporters met each other in our training event in Helsinki. 

During the trip, the group worked together and we witnessed how the self-confidence of the future foreign correspondents grew as they gained new experience. The expertise of the Nepali journalist colleagues diversified the reporting. The local journalists also got inspired by the visit and thought that some of the questions raised by their European colleagues are lacking from the Nepali media. 

We are looking forward to seeing the results of the journey soon in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovakian and Czech media! 

Please see some pictures from the trip below. You can find more photos here.

Interviewing the earthquake survivors from the Thami minority in the Suspa Panikpokhar camp. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen  

Our group of female reporters were interested in hearing about women's life in Nepal. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 

Visiting a farm in Makaibari, Dolakha district. Photo: Anurag Acharya, CIJ Nepal 

The group of reporters listens silently as their colleague Rajindra Mandhai (second from the left) tells about the earthquake while standing on the ruins of his own house. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen 

Some of the most memorable interviews were done in a Women's Shelter in Charikot town. In the picture: the founder and Head of the shelter Sirjana Karki. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

The rebuilding after the 2015 earthquake is in the hands of the locals. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

The group with the staff of Himal Khabalpatrika newspaper in Kathmandu. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen.

Local health and social science teacher is interviewed by Santa Logina (Latvia), Katarina Kovacova (Slovakia) and Milda Tarcijonaite (Lithuania). Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Interviewing students and teachers in a  local school in Jure, Sindhupalchowk district. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Anette Parksepp (ERR, Estonia) is interviewing a local woman who has just started building a new house in Sindupalchowk. Anurag Acharya (CIJ Nepal) translates. Photo: Maiju Mitrunen

Texts and photos: Project Coordinator Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES

Participate in the discussion on Twitter with #M4Dproject 

Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!

Eye-Opening Journey to Israel and West Bank by VIKES

VIKES did not rest during the summer either! In July 2016, we took a group of journalists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Slovakia for a week-long study trip to Israel and the West Bank.

The trip deepened the participants knowledge on development issues and gave them practical experience on what it is like to work as a journalist in conflict areas. The five journalists that took part in the study trip were excited but also confused and shocked about the places they visited and the people they met in Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

The trip was a great success and the participants gave it an overall score of 4.8 / 5. All of them would "extremely" or "very" likely recommend a similar trip to a colleague. Also, according to the feedback, all of them will work on the issues discussed during the trip also in the future. They especially liked the work done by VIKES trip coordinator Anna Palmén in organizing the programme and arranging the interviews and visits. The practical arrangements of the trip by VIKES and the other project partners also received many praises in the online feedback form.

Please see some pictures from the trip below. You can find more photos here.

Photos: Anna Palmén (VIKES, Finland) and Piia Puuraid (Ekspress Media, Estonia)

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia).

Photo: Piia Puuraid, Ekspress Media (Estonia). 

Photo: Anna Palmén, VIKES. 

The whole group with driver and translator Issa Loussi and trip coordinator Anna Palmén. Photo: Anna Palmén, VIKES.

Texts: Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES

Follow the discussion on Twitter: #M4Dproject

Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!

Reporting World News: Intensive Course on Development for Journalists by VIKES

During the past couple of years we have witnessed an influx of conflicts, violence and wars, and the foreign news sections of our newspapers have been filled with pictures of refugees. The professional skills of journalists are measured in reporting on these global issues. How to find the real stories and sources? How to separate propaganda from reality? How to get behind the headlines? Especially in a world where the foreign news section of the newspaper is the first to suffer from budget cuts. How do we see the world through today’s media? Is the world really getting better or worse?

The three-day intensive course, organized by the Finnish Foundation for Media and Development (VIKES) aimed to answer these questions and increase knowledge about development affairs among media.

The training encouraged the young journalists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithunia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Finland to think big when it comes to development issues!

VIKES organized the training on development issues and global interdependencies for a selected group of journalists in Helsinki 20 - 22 April 2016.  The training was mainly conducted by experienced journalists that shared their own experiences from working as a journalist in conflict areas or developing countries.




The trainers and speakers included experts such as freelance journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman and photojournalist Niklas Meltio. During the three days of training the participants went through different development issues from climate change to sustainable development from media's perspective.  The participants also got a chance to get to know colleagues from all around the world. 

The journalists taking part in the training will also be given a chance to go on study trips to developing countries organized by the different project partners.

Environmental journalist Kari Rissa telling about the impact of climate change to developing countries.

Pekka Reinikainen (Finnish Red Cross), Aishi Zidan (Amnesty Finland) and photojournalist Niklas Meltio discussing how the Western media covers migration. The discussion was moderated by Anni Valtonen (Maailman Kuvalehti).

The Female-dominated group of future foreign correspondents.

Anni Valtonen (Maailman Kuvalehti) asked Pekka Reinikainen (Red Cross), journalist Amie-Ferris-Rotman and photojournalist Niklas Meltio how they deal with emotional trauma during covering traumatic events.

Amie Ferris-Rotman described her work as the Foreign Correspondent for Reuters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Amie Ferris-Rotman heading a workshop on planning the programme for trips and convincing the editors.

The devastating effects of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal by Program Manager Anurag Acharya from the Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal.

VIKES partners Editor Shiva Gaunle and Program Manager Anurag Acharya from the Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal describing the difference of local and foreign reporting.

Journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman (freelancer), Program Manager Anurag Acharya (CIJ Nepal), journalist Katri Merikallio (Suomen Kuvalehti) and Coordinator Maiju Mitrunen (VIKES) discussing about the practicalities of world news and journalism.

Lyydia Kilpi from NGO network Kepa told the participants what tax havens have to do with development.

See more pictures here. Also, read the comments by the participants from the previous posts by the other project partners!




Photos & texts: Maiju Mitrunen, VIKES


Follow the discussion on Twitter: #M4Dproject

Introducing the Finnish Foundation for Media, Communication and Development (VIKES)

The Finnish Foundation for Media, Communication and Development (known by its Finnish acronym VIKES) is Finland’s leading specialist in freedom of expression internationally. Our mission is to promote freedom of expression and journalistic plurality as the foundations for democracy and development. In other words, VIKES is a development organization that promotes free, critical and quality journalism. In 2014, we supported freedom of expression in 14 different countries through 10 different projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

VIKES was established in 2005 on the initiative of the Union of Journalists in Finland, and it brings together the whole Finnish journalistic community. Finnish journalists are particularly well placed to promote freedom of expression, as Finland is a world leader in both freedom of the press and government transparency. For example, Finland has remained at the top of the World Press Freedom Index for five years running.

Yet, the 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Beset by wars, the growing threat from non-state operatives, violence during demonstrations and the economic crisis, media freedom is in retreat on all five continents. More than ever, journalists are being persecuted, imprisoned and murdered because of their work. Freelance journalists who have to work in unstable areas, together with their local assistants, are particularly at risk. In addition to political and economic pressures, journalistic freedom is undermined by the expansion of public relations and lobbying. And yet the solution for global environmental, economic and human rights problems requires the existence of critical and professional journalism.

Independent, professional media and open communication networks contribute to both civil society and sustainable economic development, and in that way to the eradication of poverty. Furthermore, transparency, openness, and citizens’ right to communication are basic conditions of development. Freedom of expression is a precondition for democracy and human rights.

Subsequently, the Finnish Foundation for Media, Communication and Development (VIKES) will participate in the Media for Development Programme both to provide expert advice and to promote freedom of expression. Through the contacts of VIKES the journalists can also have chance to work together with local journalists in developing countries to understand better the role of media in development.

In 2015, the Media for Development the planned project activities for VIKES include:
•    Providing expert journalism input to the TV-production planning meeting organized by ERR in Estonia in March.       
•    Organizing a training for writing journalists from the new EU member states in Finland in April.
•    Organizing the programme of a joint study-trip for the writing journalists to a developing country in Africa or Asia in September/October.
•    Providing expert policy-maker input to an international roundtable on development financing in Latvia organized by Green Liberty in June.
•    Raising public awareness on freedom of expression and development cooperation through VIKES’ network of journalists and communication channels in Finland.

Contact us and participate: maiju.mitrunen(at)vikes.fi
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