Ok, It’s time a stopped rambling on and actually blogged about something realistic. That had a start point and an end and most importantly, is achievable.
Many moons ago I made a very important decision. I decided that I was going to co-ordinate a 5 day conference where over 100 young media makers could come and discuss the changing topic that is journalism, and hopefully take skills back to their countries might radically change the way their organisation thinks. For too long we have sounded our industries death knell with falling newspaper circulation and the rise of ‘citizen journalism’, this conference would focus on what we can do to prolong the press, and adapt our skills with it.
I call this tranferable media, the art of writing for print and then taking the same article and making a pod/vid cast with an online version attached to it. The fact that a journalist can walk up to any editor and say ‘Employ me, I can do it all AND save you money’.
But where to hold such a meeting of media minds? After visits with the European Youth Press to various international cities I could think of only one place. Lincoln, England. There would be no uncomfortable underground transport in a morning to contend with, no walking back in shoe agony after a heated discussion too long (blame it on the continental culture), and with top class media facilities provided by the University I felt this could really happen.
It turned out some other people thought it could happen too. After a short presentation last October in Trieste, Italy, the Forum for European Journalism Students believed Lincoln could be the ideal place to hold their annual conference come April 2009.
For those unfamiliar with FEJS (and if you hail from the west it’s no surprise) this organisation dates back to 1986 after a pact between young journalists to get together once a year and discuss developments in journalism. 20 years, nearly 1000 members and 27 different countries later, we can expect 100 of the top European journalism students aged between 18-35 to visit Lincoln next April.
The one question is - how do we pay for it?
The FEJS is a not for profit agency and bound by the strict regulations of their own members. There can only be a small participation fee, and a pre-agreed amount of the fee must go towards a solidarity fund to give young journalists the chance to attend the conference.
With a cost of around £200 per head the realism is that we will only get around £70 per person towards their visit. The rest is down to various sponsorships and partnerships that I am now looking to make.
My foolish first thought was that of course - lots of media organisations would like to part of us! Wouldn’t they? Why, we’re the newsgatherers, the editors and the writers of tomorrow, we’re challenging pre-conceptions and spending our hard earned money on new gadgets and the latest technology. Surely some telecommunications companies would like to speak to us? And all these student journalism awards - we’re sure to get lots of coverage! Well…maybe not…yet.
The simple fact is the word hasn’t spread yet and we’re limited in who we know to tell that word to.
Here is my promise - that over the next month I will add presentations, partnership opportunities and details about the conference to this site. What I ask of you is to spread the word, tell your friends, tell your parents, tell your boss or even tell your local paper.
We need to raise £15,000 to make this happen. This is a fantastic event to get involved with, whether you help fundraise, run a workshop or deliver a lecture, I’d hate to cancel the 24th FEJS annual conference - and the only one to be held in the UK.
So spread the word! Forward thinking is coming to the UK, April 2009 here we come.
