Bloggers wanted!

As part of the Observatory of the Freedom of Media in Poland Programme, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights carries out the project “Monitoring of Threats to Free Media in Poland and Strengthening the Control Role of Local Media”. The aim of the project is to train 16 citizen journalists who will be keeping blogs monitoring the status of media freedom in Poland at the level of individual provinces. The project’s completion is scheduled for May 2014.

The project’s primary goal is to strengthen the position of local media that, unlike the national outlets, are often devoid of appropriate resources and support required to fully perform the role of the “public watchdog”.

Citizen journalists will be responsible for covering incidents affecting the freedom of speech in regions, monitoring court cases and actions of local authorities related to freedom of speech, media monitoring and developing contacts with local journalists. The blogs are to operate within a single platform that will support the monitoring actions previously undertaken by the Observatory.

In early November 2012, the HFHR plans to conduct expert training for citizen journalists to provide them with useful monitoring tools. During the training, the participants will learn journalistic skills and methods, the “blogwriting” and watchodog’s skills. They will be also introduced to the rules of accessing public information, legal regulations on operating a website, the role of media in a democratic society (also in the context of international standards), and the use of modern on-line communications tools. The project will also include two additional consultation sessions. At the project’s finale, the best blogs will win diplomas and awards.

The project may be extended beyond its projected completion date (end of May 2014).

Interested applicants should send us
1. A CV
2. A creative writing sample.
3. A short covering letter.

Please send applications to Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska
(d.bychawska@hfhr.org.pl) and Dorota Głowacka (d.glowacka@hfhr.org.pl).
Closing date for sending applications is 30 October 2012.

We will contact selected applicants only.