BIA Journalism Seminar to Young Reporters

BIA organizes a rights journalism seminar for a dozen of voluntary young reporters for the Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos. Following the murder of its founder Hrant Dink, last January, all participants say this is a show of solidarity with Agos.

Ayça Örer

A dozen of young reporters gathered together this weekend for a basic journalism and rights journalism seminar organized by Independent Communication Network (BIA).

Most of them university students, the participants will act as local reporters for the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos.

The founder of the journal, Hrant Dink has been gunned down by a nationalist hitman on January 19 this year.

Asst. Prof. Esra Arsan from Bilgi University, BIA project coordinator Nadire Mater, editor-in-chief for Milliyet Sanat and Radikal2 Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Galatasaray University staff Füsun Özbilgen, bianet.org editor Tolga Korkut and Yücel Tunca from Galata Photography House lectured the participants.

News writing techniques, media, democracy and public sphere, mainstream-alternative media duality were among the issues discussed.

Studying sociology at the Galatasaray University, Nayat said he decided to contribute to Agos after Hrant Dink's muder: "Much has changed since".

Sibil, who studies on radio-TV at Bilgi University agrees: January 19 constitutes a turning point for all of them, many from Armenian descent. Being a reporter for Agos seems like a good way to express solidarity with what it stands for: plurality and democracy.(AÖ/EÜ)

Ayça Örer