The EBU Partnership Programme (EPP) has begun a second wave of public service news workshops to encourage South Eastern European journalists to apply the EBU’s Public Service Media (PSM) Values in their work.

Radio, TV and web journalists and editors attending the workshops—run in cooperation with Eurovision ACADEMY—consider the paramount importance of high editorial principles and values in news production in winning public trust and support.

EPP senior project manager Radka Betcheva said the sessions allow journalists to take a step back and view their work through the prism of the recently adopted EBU PSM Values and corollary Editorial Principles.

“The animated discussions provoked by experienced trainers help journalists rediscover the core mission of public service media and their competitive advantage over commercial media,” she said. “They also allow for frank discussions about common problems and how to tackle them.”

Trainer Tomislav Spoljar, from the HRT Academy, run by Croatian EBU Member HRT, cited several recurring problems brought up by the participants.

“The main challenges to the independence of PSM in the region appear to be economic instability, political pressure and a lack of support from editors in chief and the media community in general,” he said.

A session called “meet the audience” looks at real audience feedback and explores practical ways to improve programmes and strengthen the relationship between public broadcasters and the public.

The first workshop of the second wave was held on 9-10 May at the offices of the EBU’s Montenegrin Member RTCG, and attended by 13 radio, web and TV journalists.

Subsequent seminars will be held in Sarajevo on 14-15 May, in Skopje on 28-29 May and in Zagreb, in September.

The workshops are part of an EBU-EU project for the development of PSM in EU accession countries, including Albania, BiH, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, FYROM, Serbia and the Serbian province of Vojvodina.