Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation Opens the School of Digital Journalism

Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation started a training course for journalists from six cities in Serbia. Renowned journalists Olja Bećković, Magda Janjić and Predrag Blagojević among lecturers

The first School of Digital Journalism for journalists of local media organized by the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation has opened its doors on July 3, when the mentors presented the syllabus and the manner in which the classes shall be held during the following ten weeks at the School of Digital Journalism.

Jelena Ćuruvija, the Ex Officio President of Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and Ilir Gaši, the Executive Director of Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, were the first to address to the attendees. The opening lectures were held by Pavle Zlatić, the Editor-in-Chief of B92 website, who will be leading the training course in digital journalism, Maja Divac, the journalist of the Mreža production company, who will be teaching journalism ethics and standards, Zoran B. Nikolić, the Executive Editor of Cenzolovka (analytical journalism) and Perica Gunjić, the Editor-in-Chief of Cenzolovka (investigative journalism).

The purpose of the School is to help young male and female journalists understand how the Internet has changed the ways journalists choose their topics, collect and verify information, prepare the content and reach the audience. The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation wants to use this program to strengthen the local media and journalists in their attempt to, despite the increasing economic and political pressures, keep independency and improve the quality of their reporting.

Some renowned journalists spoke as guest lecturers on the topic of traditional and digital journalism in Serbia: Olja Bećković, the Associate of NIN weekly magazine, previously the author of Utisak nedelje TV show, Magda Janjić, the Editor of Vice online magazine, and Predrag Blagojević, the Editor-in-Chief of Južne vesti portal.

In her discussion with the attendees, Olja Bećković asked for an answer to the question “What is the job of a journalist”. Predrag Blagojević reminded how Južne vesti, one of the most successful news portals in Serbia, was made, while the way digital environment changed the journalists’ method was discussed in the lecture of Magda Janjić.

Attendees of the School of Digital Journalism of the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation are: Aldina Luinović (Prijepolje), Vanja Kolar (Subotica), Dragana Prica (Novi Sad), Dunja Stojković (Pančevo), Ljubinka Ljujić (Prijepolje), Marija Vučić (Niš) and Tamara Gligorijević (Belgrade).

The School will be opened until September 14, after which the two best attendees will go to a one month study travel abroad.

The School of Digital Journalism has been organized thanks to the support of the American National Endowment for Democracy (NED).