A group of journalism students from the universities “St. Cyril and Methodius", "Goce Delchev" and "Mother Teresa", participate in the four-week program on digital media production during December 2019, organized by the Macedonian Institute for Media, in cooperation with Albany Associate from London and Mediacentar Sarajevo. The program consists of one-week workshop delivered by prominent journalists, editors and media experts, as well as tree-week practical work in the media outlets in the country. The workshop was based on lessons and practical exercises through which the students explored the media scene and contemporary trends in journalism and learned more about the TV journalism. The students improved their knowledge about the online journalism and multimedia, and what being mobile journalist looks like. During the lessons on basics of photographing and photo editing the students learnt that one picture can be worth thousand words. The last day of the workshop was dedicated to the internet as a source of information as well as to the internet research skills, recognizing disinformation and verification of information. Macedonian Institute for Media organizes the program as part of the project “Promoting Media Information Literacy and strengthening independent media in the Western Balkans”, which is implemented by Albany Associates from London in partnership with regional media development organizations in Western Balkan countries. The project aims toward building capacity of media professionals and journalism students in verification, fact-checking, content production and other reporting competencies; enhancing public service broadcasters' understanding of media and information literacy (MIL) and improving their ability to deliver MIL campaigns to the public. The project is funded by the British Government.  

In Macedonia there are approximately 3000 phantom people or people with no identity. They are not entitled to health insurance and employment, and they cannot vote or leave the country. They are simply invisible for the system and the state. Through the story of the family Sulejman from Suto Orizari, we convey to you the suffering of these families, but also the negligence of the state towards these people, as a result of which, instead of systematically solving this problem, the number of phantom people is increasing every year.     The video was produced as part of the project “Reporting about civil society and its impact in achieving societal changes”, implemented by MIM in association with SCOOP Macedonia, with financial assistance from the CIVICA Mobilitas program.

The handicraft skills, which have been passed on from generation to generation for centuries, may yield economic benefits even in modern living conditions. An example of that are the women from the Reka region. These women use their talent and creativity to become financially independent and to feel socially productive. This video captures the inexhaustible wealth and tradition nurtured by the women from the Reka region, who are already famous for their products in the country and abroad. The video was produced as part of the project “Reporting about civil society and its impact in achieving societal changes”, implemented by MIM in association with SCOOP Macedonia, with financial assistance from the CIVICA Mobilitas program.

Journalists and editors from various program departments in MRTV participated at the one-day workshop for strengthening the role of the Public Service Broadcaster in promoting and improving the concept for media literacy in the public sphere in the country. The goal of the workshop was to create unanimous understanding of media literacy concept within the Public Service Broadcaster, and to emphasise the importance of the Public Service Broadcaster as one of the main actors in promotion of media literacy. The workshop was led by Martina Chapman from Ireland, international expert specialized for politics, strategies, researches and projects in the sphere of media literacy. Through practical examples and presentations of experiences from abroad, she helped the participants to define initiatives and ideas that could further strengthen the role of MRT in promoting media literacy. Furthermore, she explained the importance of media literacy in strengthening the interaction with the audience and increasing the trust in the Public Service Broadcaster . Macedonian Institute for Media organized the workshop within the project “Promoting Media Information Literacy and strengthening independent media in the Western Balkans”, which is implemented by Albany Associates from London in partnership with regional media development organizations in Western Balkan countries. The project is funded by the British Government.  

The effects of the pollution are beginning to affect the lakes as well, which are one of the greatest natural treasures of Macedonia. Will the competent institutions act adequately and take care of the lake waters protection? The collection system of the Ohrid Lake is the largest and the most significant one in Western Macedonia, but it is working with half capacity. The video was produced as part of the project “Reporting about civil society and its impact in achieving societal changes”, implemented by MIM in association with SCOOP Macedonia, with financial assistance from the CIVICA Mobilitas program.

Macedonia is third in Europe when it comes to cancer mortality, and we do not even have a simple register of the patients! How can the health system get a national strategy for fight against the severe diseases such as cancer? To define a document which will precisely make an overview of the prevention, the disease and the mortality so as to be able to act? However, though the years, Macedonia did not make a register of diseases, especially of the malignant ones, in order to be able to build a strategic plan for fight against the diseases. (The full article is available in Macedonian)

Thousand landfills. Fifty of them are municipal, but do not possess work permits. Only one is legal and works according to standards. Macedonia is covered with trash. Laws on environmental protection exist, but they are not implemented. What is the reason? It costs money. There are no funds for this purpose in the State budget. The burden will have to be carried by the citizens through higher bills for communal fees. However, there isn’t a politician who would make such a decision!     The video was produced as part of the project “Reporting about civil society and its impact in achieving societal changes”, implemented by MIM in association with SCOOP Macedonia, with financial assistance from the CIVICA Mobilitas program.

Only a few municipalities have the capacity to implement the regulations for B-integrated environmental permits. On the field, there is complete chaos. There is no coordination between the central and the local authorities. The same parcel gets a permit for both a house and a factory.(The full article is available in Macedonian)

The path for exiting Hell is hard, but not impossible. It is filled with many challenges and difficulties, and in order to cross it you need will and determination. Through the testimonies of the drug, alcohol and gambling addicts who decided to cross the thorny path, we bring you the story of the therapy community “Pokrov”.