In light of the annual European Commission Award competition students attended this years’ workshop from the comfort of their homes.
Students were invited to attend the European Commission SMEDIs workshop which was hosted by European Movement Ireland. Guest speakers included Chrstina Bohan, from the Journal.ie, Grace Bolton, Head of Press European Commission in Ireland, as well as this year’s winner, Elisha Carey.
The workshop served as an opportunity for students to join and meet people from the media industry and receive insight into the daily routines of a newsroom and press conferences at the European Union in Brussels.
The workshop took place on November 17th ,2020 and was held over Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Attendees were encouraged to participate in the annual writing competition by the European Commission that would guarantee the winners article to be published in an Irish newspaper and receive a 1000 Euro winning check.
As one of the guest speakers, this year’s European Commission Award winner, Elisha Carey, shared on her writing experience and the process behind choosing the right subject to write on. In her article, she chose to reflect on her European Identity and her study experience as part of the Erasmus program abroad.
Believing she would not make any friends, Carey, was pleasantly surprised to discover that her views and life experiences were similar to those she met during her time abroad.
Reflecting on her study experience, she felt privileged to be a European citizen and been given this opportunity to live and study in a new country such as the Netherlands.
As the guest speakers shared on their professional lives, all attendees were encouraged to participate and ask their questions.
Christina Bohan gave insight on the different ways she and her colleagues entered the field of journalism, emphasizing the importance of soft skills within a team as a crucial element.
Bohan who is the current deputy editor at the Journal.ie, has also been running the fact checking project for the online newspaper.
According to her, social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, are not to be viewed as news outlets, as these mainly focus on their own business agendas and do not serve as allies but as competitors that have great influence.
When asked on how journalism evolved, she stated that there had been a “shift away from speed” and that “journalism is not changing but that journalism is being presented in a different way”, according to Bohan.
The workshop concluded with Grace Bolton, Head of Press European Commission in Ireland, providing an insightful glance on the European Union and the different functions of the governing bodies starting with the European Council down to the European Parliament.
In light of the SMEDIs competition, Bolton provided ideas and topics the students could choose when writing their articles.
The deadline for next year’s competition is March 2021 and all further information can be found over their website http://www.oxygen.ie/smedias-2021/smedias-pre-registration/.
By Adina Sarah Abraham
Adina Sarah Abraham 