Journalism workshop
"Digital Era and media accessibility for all"
The journalism workshop "Digital era and media accessibility for all" will take place during the 4th International Conference "People with Disabilities and Mass Media from traditional media to network communities", will take place in Athens at the premises of the Secretariat General of Information - Secretariat General of Communication, for the 4th consecutive year.
The purpose of the above-mentioned workshop is to find a model of partnership between the Mass Media employees and the special needs education consultants in order to establish a communication code that will allow the news recording and the creation of audiovisual productions, that will comply with the required standards.
The workshop will be attended by journalists, scriptwriters, copywriters, journalism and Mass Media students as people with disabilities that are involved with the Mass Media and shape shows and news bulletins.
The coordinators and advisors of the working groups will be special trainers, Mass Media professionals, university professors and people of the Disability Rights Movement.
The workshop will involve the following stages :
First stage : providing the participants with the reference material
Second stage : preliminary addresses will take place during the opening day of the workshop that will be followed by instructions regarding the way the workshop will be conducted and how the working groups will be put together.
The advisors will then present the working methods and will provide the "necessary tools" for the exercise to each group.
The purpose of the exercise is to create a web network that will include a radio station, a tv station and electronic document that will be accessible to all with using the right approach concerning issues related to people with disabilities.
The working groups along with their advisors will design the network, according to the standards mentioned in the reference material.
The web network differs from the traditional mass media in that it is alleviated from time limit restriction concerning the presentation time and has the proper applications for the production of audiovisual material and its use by the people with disabilities.
Third stage : The working groups will meet and present the results of their work to all the participants, advisors and trainers. The presentation will be followed by a discussion and commentating of the results. The seminar will end with the presentation by the committee of the models, used by the working groups.
Fourth stage : the conclusions of the workshop will provide a useful input for the quest of ways to improve Mass media accessibility to people with disabilities.
Τhe workshop will include the following working groups :
The sign language in the Mass Media
Subject : Finding the best practices of the production of tv bulletins, whenever sign language interpretation is required.
The group will present the production process of a news bulletin beginning with the original texts that are put together by the journalists and the way they are processed by the sign language interpreters. They will also present the videos of news bulletins in sing language, aired on the public or private television channels as well as a medical documentary.
They will also make reference to the importance of the set, of the direction, of the live links and of the manner of the broadcasting when the sign language interpretation takes place at the same time.
Accessible internet information
Counselor: Spyros Raptis, Panagiotis Alexandrakis
Subject: Presentation of best practices in terms of planning and maintaining websites of newspapers, TV channels or other agents in order to be accessible to blind people.
There will be a presentation of model webpages that have perfect, medium or insufficient access, with reference to international models of accessibility.
Traineeship: A popular web site will be presented and some remarks will be made related to the necessary improvements in terms of accessibility.
The work flow in the production of programs that with imbedded audio narration
Advisors : Manos Kouanis, director - script writer, Natassa Bozini, journalist, Nora Fardela.
Subject: Presentation of the necessary changes at the traditional program planning in order to embody audio narration.
The short film of Manos Kouanis entitled "Alone 2" will be used as reference work.
Choosing among examples of audiovisual works, suitable for audio narration or not and justification of this choice.
Writing and production of audio narration for one of those models.
Wrong and correct expressions at broadcasts and news bulletins regarding disability - The social campaigns
Subject: Presentation of news bulletin and broadcast models from written and electronic press including expressions that are not compatible with the way that disabled people should be presented in the mass media.
The aim of this working group is spotting the wrong expressions that emerge from stereotypes that everybody has about disability. After spotting and realizing the wrong references, the team will rewrite the news, using the right expressions.
Presentation of TV spots from mobilization campaigns that have errors concerning the content and direction. Afterwards, the correct way of approach in terms of text, content and direction will be composed and presented.
Planning a program
Advisor : Natassa Bozini, journalist, member of board of directors of Panhellenic Federation of Journalists' Union (PFJU)
Subject: Presentation of a planned program, which will be corrected and adapted to the reference material that all members of the working group will have received.