Bolivia: Two-pronged journalism training program gets underway | Latin America | DW | 15.08.2014
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Bolivia: Two-pronged journalism training program gets underway

For the first time in Bolivia young journalists are receiving professional journalism training in a new, one-year program. Esther Paola Mamani and Sady Daniel Rojas are among the first students to take part.

Two participants of Bolivia's first professional journalism training program launched by DW Akademie, GIZ and the Foundation Fundación Para el Periodismo

Esther and Sady say the training program is "a completely new experience"

The journalism training program in Bolivia was launched at the end of July in the Bolivian capital La Paz, with an inaugural group of 13 students. Initiated by DW Akademie together with the Bolivian journalism foundation, Fundación Para el Periodismo (FPP) and the GIZ German development organization, the one-year program puts an emphasis on both theoretical and practical training.

Esther Paola Mamani Mamani and Sady Daniel Rojas Loza are both just 22 years old and have degrees in communications. Esther recently started working for the national TV broadcaster ATB and Sady is a reporter for the Página Siete newspaper. But despite their new media careers, both feel they could use additional journalism training.

What are you hoping to gain from the new training program?
Sady Daniel Rojas Loza: For me it's a great opportunity to improve my journalism skills and generally help boost the professional standard of journalism in Bolivia. I'm hoping the training will improve my personal approach, as well.
Esther Paola Mamani Mamani: Journalism is my passion, and I knew I wanted to be a journalist as soon as I started university. I'm hoping to learn more about producing multimedia content here and how to use it effectively in my work. I also want to polish up the skills I already have.

What has appealed to you most about the program so far?
Esther: The first week was a completely new experience because I'd never taken part in such a well-organized, hands-on training program before. We started by covering the theoretical basics and then put what we'd learned into practice.
Sady: I've learned a lot about new media, and the new platforms available to journalists. I'm also learning how and when to use the different ones most effectively.

Group of the first professional journalism training program launched by DW Akademie, GIZ and the Foundation Fundación Para el Periodismo in Bolivia.

It's a first for Bolivia: the new students now receive professional training at the Bolivian journalism foundation

The new training program is designed for young journalists working with various media. What’s the group dynamic like?
Esther: The group is a very mixed one and everyone has their own ways about them, but we all get on well together. I also like the fact that the other people in the program are becoming my friends.
Sady: The group's great! The thing I like best is the back-and-forth we have with each other. We also get a good sense of how the others see things – that's definitely a plus. The fact that we all work in different types of media and have different kinds of jobs means we can learn from each other.


What is your sense of the current media situation in Bolivia?
Esther: I think here, like in other countries in the region, reporting has become increasingly superficial. Sensational stories tend to take the lead. Plus, the media has lost a lot of its credibility because it's so closely tied to certain political and business interests.
Sady: I think new media will play a part in improving overall coverage, and that journalism will soon find itself on the upswing because of that.

What does that mean for Bolivian journalists?
Esther: In spite of all the criticism you hear I do think things are getting better for journalists. I agree with Sady that the multimedia sector has already done a lot, and I'm seeing that large media organizations are starting to recognize this. Training is still a problem, though, and most of the journalists here are self-taught.
Sady: We also lack clear ethical standards. Reporting here often reflects political points of view and I see that as the biggest challenge for journalists. That's why I'm hoping the training program will teach me more about independent and critical reporting.


The dual journalism training program in Bolivia is an initiative by DW Akademie, Fundación Para el Periodismo (FFP) and the GIZ German development organization. The program also receives support from state and private media organizations, which is where students complete their internships. The participants also attend a monthly, one-week training module at the FPP. Here they learn the fundamentals of a journalist's daily work. While the training program is a new addition to the country's media sector, it also puts a focus on new approaches such as multimedia storytelling, which until now has been largely ignored by the Bolivian media. The program is funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) and commissioned by the GIZ development organization. Bolivia's communications ministry is the project’s political partner.

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  • Date 15.08.2014
  • Author Linda Vierecke
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  • Date 15.08.2014
  • Author Linda Vierecke
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  • Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/1Cv8W