On December 7 and 8, Internews Kosova conducted a training course with 17 pupils from the “Frang Badhi” high school in Mitrovica, as part of a project aiming to train talented students in the art of investigative journalism. The training course and study visit took place at the KALLXO.com offices, where students closely observed the daily working process of an editorial office.

The two-day training course was divided into four sessions focussed on sharing information on the core principles of journalism, including writing skills, television journalism, research and journalistic ethics.

On the first day of training, Visar Prebreza, the editor of KALLXO.com, lectured the students on the basics of journalism and the techniques employed through various media products, while Valdet Salihu, a producer at KALLXO.com and ‘Justice in Kosovo,’ demonstrated to the pupils the way that audiovisual equipment is used in journalistic production. He also gave the pupils the opportunity to have a look at how the tools, including both video and photographic cameras, are operated.

During the second day of the training session, Doruntina Baliu, an editor at KALLXO.com, oversaw exercises on how to write news stories and conduct interviews. Having used tangible examples, she discussed with students the topics they can tackle, and the media products they can create, that are of interest to their generation using the KALLXO Youth platform.

On the second day of training, pupils were also informed about the legal framework surrounding the functioning of the media. Labinot Leposhtica, coordinator of the legal office at KALLXO.com, informed the participants about the institutions and bodies that regulate the way the media operates, as well as the Law on Defamation. Leposhtica then explained the importance of journalists adhering to the journalistic code of ethics and high professional standards.

The participants were all awarded with certificates, while some of them will continue their cooperation with KALLXO.com through the KALLXO Youth platform.

The training courses are being conducted this month across five municipalities in Kosovo: Prizren, Ferizaj, South Mitrovica, Gjilan and Prishtina. This project is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and implemented by Internews Kosova.