DW Akademie trainer Dieter Herrmann (right) in Vietnam

A good interview should be informative, authentic, credible and sometimes even surprising. In the past two weeks, the participants in our workshop ‘Advanced Interview Training’ were able to discover the special benefits of this journalistic format.

Together with my colleague Uli Köhler, I am training journalists in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Our 15 trainees  work for Vietnam Television (VTV). Most of them are reporters in Hanoi, but we’ve also got the VTV correspondents to Russia and to China in our group. All of our participants are keen to learn more about conducting interviews and recording vox pops.

As Uli and I will leave Vietnam in a couple of days, the trainees are now working on their final productions. Their topic is ‘same-sex marriage in Vietnam’. They chose this topic themselves after an hour-long discussion.

Controversy and discussion about gay marriage

Why did they opt for a controversial issue like that? Because the law on same-sex partnerships in Vietnam will be changed soon and there is a lot of discussion in the country right now.

Working on a contentious topic like same-sex marriage is quite a challenge in an Asian country like Vietnam. But our  participants managed to find a number of interview partners like experts, officials, and of course some gay people as well. With some of them, it was hard work to get good answers on camera – or even just to get them to talk.

Surprisingly for all of us, it was no problem at all to get some really interesting vox pops.

Vox pop in Hanoi

Lots of people in the streets of Hanoi were willing to talk openly about gay marriage. Some were strongly opposed, others were strongly in favor of the idea – just like anywhere else in the world. But what I find interesting in Hanoi is that homosexuality itself doesn’t seem to be taboo at all.

As far as the work-flow in the production of our vox pops was concerned, our expectations were totally different than what we encountered in reality. We originally thought that we would have to record at least 20 to 30 statements from passers-by to end up with four or five sound bites that would be usable  for broadcast. But that’s not the way it turned out at all. In fact, almost all of the statements we recorded for our vox pops were clearly understandable and very usable.

As I write this, our three groups of trainees are busy editing their vox pops. And it’s already becoming obvious that each of them will be proud to show their productions during the closing ceremony of this workshop with VTV at the end of this week.

Author: Dieter Herrmann

Action learning scenario

As a trainer, I like working with what I call “action learning settings”. This basically means designing the workshop in a way that learning happens in a good mix of experiencing something and then talking about it and reflecting upon the experience.

Workshop designs are like recipes for cooking: It’s not just the amount of the ingredients that counts, it’s also their quality. And as with any recipe, things can work out perfectly, but they can also go terribly wrong. So for a trainer, going into an action learning workshop can be fraught with tension. Will things work out? What if they don’t…?

Recently, we had the pleasure of “cooking something up” in Laos that turned out beyond and above expectations. Our trainees were a group of journalism teachers of the National University of Laos. The topic was “interviewing” and the setting we had chosen for this training session was a press conference.

Our trainees played the interviewers in this mock press conference. The interviewee was the German ambassador to Laos, whom we had invited to our session.

We had prepared the mock press conference with our trainees. We had researched questions to ask the German ambassador, but there wasn’t much information in the Laotian media about him yet: the ambassador had only recently been assigned to his post in Vientiane. Of course there was information about him in German and English, but it was hard for our trainees to find information in Laotian. As always, the language barrier was a big obstacle for any kind of research in Laos.

Robert von Rimscha, German ambassador to Laos

Ambassador Robert von Rimscha spent 90 minutes with our group. A full hour for the press-conference-style interview and 30 minutes of evaluating the experience from both sides.

For the Laotian journalism teachers, this was a unique occasion to approach someone this “high-ranking”, as they described the ambassador.

The scenario gave them a chance to experience what real-life journalism feels like and to practice their interviewing skills. At the same time, this simulation of a real-life situation showed them a possible setting for practical journalism training.

As trainers, we were grateful the ambassador shared both his time and his experience: Having been a journalist himself before working as a politician and diplomat, he offered a rich blend of insights from many perspectives. And as we were off-the-record and off-air, he sometimes forgot about his diplomatic wording and gave clear opinion, personal profile and background information. All perfect ingredients for cooking up an “action learning setting” that fostered learning for workshops to come.

by Daniel Hirschler

For more information check out these articles

Educators embark into a new era of journalism in Laos

Creating confidence in the classroom

Klangnarong is vice-chair of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR), a national NGO working towards the democratization of communication. She is also a board member of the Thai Netizen Network, an independent network of Internet citizens working to uphold cyber liberty in Thailand.

Several years ago Klangnarong fought against the Shin Corporation, the former Thai Prime Minister’s family telecom and media business, over criminal and civil defamation lawsuits brought against her for an article published in the Thai Post. The cases were acquitted and withdrawn in 2006. The verdict was widely considered to be a victory for media independence and expression of freedom in Thailand.

In an interview with Alexandra Scherle, Klangnarong explained how the media – especially international broadcasters – can maintain a balance between commitment to a cause and objective coverage. They can, for instance, give a voice to those often neglected by the media.

She also says the media must guarantee the subjects of news stories “the right to reply” should they feel such a need after being featured in a news item. Ultimately it is a benefit to all of society to be exposed to different perspectives. Members of the audience can in this way form their own informed opinions.

Interview: Supinya Klangnarong (1) by Global Media Forum 2011

Klangnarong says that in Thailand, international broadcasters do not play as strong a role as they have in the past now that online media, Internet access and satellite TV have gained more relevance. But, she adds, outlets such as BBC, VOA and DW remain an important option as long as they continue to provide accurate and high-quality information.

Interview: Supinya Klangnarong (2) by Global Media Forum 2011

As vice chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Mohan Munasinghe shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore in 2007. Currently he is chairman of the Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND) in Colombo, a professor of sustainable development at the University of Manchester in the U.K., a distinguished guest professor at Peking University and honorary senior adviser to the government of Sri Lanka. He is widely recognized as having introduced a framework called sustainomics to make development more sustainable.

Munasinghe said that the driving forces of globalization have converged in such a way that now the world’s richest 20% consume 85% of resources. Noting some cities, communities and big businesses around the world that have already voluntarily committed to more sustainable paths, more such activity could increase “bottom-up pressure” and also encourage governments and international institutions to go forward with more sustainable policies.

Earlier this year, Munasinghe proposed to the United Nations the Millennium Consumption Goals, a complement to the Millennium Development Goals to help the world’s poor. Unlike the MDGs, the MCGs would be voluntary.

Though there are upsides to globalization for some, Munasinghe currently sees a “systematic crowding-out” of the world’s poor, not only in terms of their economic prosperity, but also their environmental welfare and social inclusion. Speaking during a plenary discussion on globally active corporations and human rights, Munasinghe said, “Sustainable development, which provides basic needs like food, water and energy and ensures survival and a decent standard of living, is a fundamental human right”.

In an interview, Munasinghe explained his view of the media’s role in sustainable development. He says the media play a critical role in communicating to the rich their responsibility to bring about change and that there is much at stake – not only for the poor but for the elite as well – if the current global system collapses. They would only need to make small changes with no great impact on their lifestyles by reducing consumption by about 10% – 15%. This would create more resources for the poor and allow for “managed change” which is much more preferable to unpredictable change.

MM-IVshort

Two of this year's 12 participants are Luzviminda Casagan from Pasay City, the Philippines, and Arthur Mataruse from Cape Town, South Africa. Casagan works for the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, Mataruse for Encounters and the Out in Africa film festivals. We spoke to both of them to find out more about film festivals and filmmaking in their home countries.

How would you describe the importance of films in cinema and television in your home country?

Arthur Mataruse (pictured left): For us, films mainly have the function to strengthen the culture and the common identity in South Africa. Our aim is also to show other cultures and lifestyles.

Luzviminda Casagan: In the Philippines, fewer and fewer people are going to the cinema. One reason is that it is now easier to get films on DVD or from the Internet. Consequently, it's becoming more difficult for filmmakers to distribute and sell their films. Our aim with the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival is to support young Philippine filmmakers whose films provide new insights and pursue new concepts, especially when that promotes art and culture.

Describe for us the local working and production conditions for filmmakers, producers and directors in your home country?

Casagan: In the Philippines, producers within the mainstream film industry have a monopoly. Film producers outside the mainstream do not have a lot of money and resources to produce their films. They need financial support but also backup in the fields of marketing and distribution. That gave us the idea to establish the festival. There are two films by Philippine filmmakers at this year's Berlinale: “Halaw” by Sheron Dayoc and "Sampaguita, National Flower” by Francis Xavier E. Pasion. Both films were co-financed by our festival.

Mataruse: South Africa has a growing and interesting film and TV industry. We have many talented people. During our Encounters and Out in Africa film festivals we offer workshops for documentary filmmakers to boost documentary production in South Africa. Notable examples for productions made by South African filmmakers are “Totsi”, “Yesterday” and “White Wedding”, which have attracted international attention and have been nominated for several media awards. Many South African films deal with the history of our country, especially the apartheid system. Queer productions also play an important role in South Africa – films and plays that deal with homosexuality, bisexuality or transgender issues. One prominent artist in this area is Evita Bezuidenhout, who received a Special Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale.

What is the most interesting part of this workshop for you?

Casagan (pictured left): I learned a lot, especially how to set up and use systems when organizing festivals. We spoke about the promising Eventival computer program for example. With that program you can plan and conduct a film festival without using paper. I also learned a lot about  how to use the Internet for festival organization, marketing and time management. I will pass on all the information to my colleagues and adopt it for my work.

Mataruse: This workshop is excellent. I think my best experience so far was to meet the other participants. It is a special gift, because we found out that the only difference between us is geography. We all have had different experiences with our work and in life. And to be here in Berlin – to experience the art, culture and history – is just amazing.

What will you take back with you from the European and German colleagues that you've met?

Casagan: I've noticed how disciplined the Germans are. We Philippines should adopt it. I want to bring discipline to my home country and share it with my fellow citizens.

Mataruse: Accuracy and discipline. What I also learned from Germans is to be open to everything.

Author: Kathrin Reinhard

Translation: Ariane Missuweit (df)