2015 has shaped up to be another productive year for International Media Solutions.  We have been able to reach new countries while the MoJo Kit reaches new schools. We have also been able to expand our staff this year, allowing the IMS family to grow.  As we draw closer to 2016, our horizons seem only to be expanding. So what has IMS exactly been up to in the last couple of months?

This Fall, IMS had the amazing opportunity to work with the Seed Alliance. The Seed Alliance is a collaboration between different grants and awards programs, who together support Internet development across the global south.  To date, the Seed Alliance has supported 116 projects from 57 economies. It has allocated around $2.2 million of funding in Grants and Awards throughout Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, helping to strengthen and promote the Information Society within these regions. IMS was contracted by ISIF Asia and APNIC, members of the Seed Alliance, to produce five on-demand webinars (see below) that covered the topics of: grant writing, communication and networking, fundraising, project monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Each webinar was scripted, storyboarded and produced up to 30 minutes long and distributed on 300 USB flash drives at their annual conference in Brazil . IMS could not have been more excited to work with such an amazing group that helps fund innovation around the world. Due to the success of the project, IMS was asked to produce a Spanish version for LACNIC, who are also a member of the Seed Alliance that actively work on promoting and defending the regional community's interests and helping create conditions that will allow the Internet to become an effective instrument for social inclusion and economic development in benefit of all Latin American and Caribbean countries and citizens.

​IMS continues to progress in the world of academia. The MoJo Kit reached more and more classrooms nationwide this year including Flagler Schools, Buck Lodge Middle School and Charles Carroll Middle School. Additionally, El Camino College and South Orange County Community College  introduced the Mojo Kit as part of their dynamic journalism programs where students learn the principles and techniques of multimedia reporting, including preparing news for the World Wide Web using text, audio, video and photographs. With the Mojo Kit, students will be able to create elaborate multimedia projects and will also be using the kits as part of El Camino College newspaper, The Union.  IMS could not be more proud to see the next generation of storytellers develop their journalism skills with the Mojo Kit. 

This year the IMS family grew with the help of two award-winning digital media producers and media consultants Lily Ciric Hoffmann and Rosario Carmona.  Lily produced and directed the five webinars mentioned above for the Seed Alliance as well as oversaw the production of the Spanish versions for LACNIC which Rosario translated, edited, and directed. IMS is proud to be working with such talented women and looks forward to collaborating with them again in 2016. 

Lily also conducted a half-day training for Tajik journalists on the latest trends and tools in digital media for the International Visitor Leadership Program being implemented by FHI 360. The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), launched in 1940, promotes mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through carefully designed professional visits to the United States for current and emerging foreign leaders. The participants, selected by U.S. Embassies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, represent government, politics, the media, education, nongovernmental organizations, the arts, public health, international security, business and trade, and other fields. More than 5,000 professionals from all over the world participate in the IVLP each year, with FHI 360 designing and implementing programs for 500 of these visitors. During their two- to three-week stays in the United States, participants meet with their American counterparts to share experiences and best practices, while also learning about the rich diversity of U.S. culture and society. 

We were able to reach new schools, new countries, and new storytellers in 2015. As the new year begins, IMS is looking towards the future. Thank you for your continued support. Together we are hopeful that 2016 will take us to new heights! 

International Media Solutions continues to expand and grow in its fourth year. The Mojo Academic is finding its way into schools, media professionals are being trained throughout the globe in harnessing this amazing tool, while the other Mojo Kits continue to be used on the field, helping spur the next generation of storytellers. 

We have always been committed to helping today’s youth and that’s why we’re proud to announce this year that IMS is a core partner of the YouthPower: Implementation Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contract (IDIQ) that FHI 360 was awarded. IMS's role as a consortium partner will be to focus on youth engagement and training utilizing video and other IT solutions. 

What are FHI 360 and YouthPower?

FHI 360 is a human development organization committed to helping deprived communities and have a long-lasting impact on today’s youth through innovative solutions. They help people in more than 70 countries and all US states and territories.  YouthPower is a USAID project to implement USAID’s Youth in Development Policy that engages youth in development efforts, builds the capacity of youth-serving and youth-led organizations and builds cross-sectoral approaches to create positive youth outcomes.

“YouthPower provides a unique opportunity to build the capacity of local organizations and create systemic and comprehensive youth programming,” said Nadra Franklin, Director for Social and Economic Development at FHI 360. “We are committed to engaging youth in all aspects of our work. With tremendous energy, creativity and innovation, youth can be at the forefront of positive change in their communities.”

We couldn’t be more proud to be part of this amazing consortium that includes leading organizations from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. IMS will post updates on specific projects related to YouthPower as they are awarded. 

2014 witnessed the unveiling of two new Mojo products: the Mojo Kit Micro and the Mojo Kit Academic. The Micro Mojo Kit is literally your mini studio on the go. Designed for people reporting in conflict areas with heavy restrictions on shooting, the kit can literally fit in your pocket. When disassembled, to the naked eye the authorities wouldn't think you are out in the field filming.

The Mojo Kit Academic is a college and career-readiness tool for teachers and students that creates powerful digital storytelling through high-definition multimedia content.  The Academic is armed with Padcaster®  for the iPad,  a 72MM 0.40x Wide Angle Lens, a Macro Lens, a 2.2x Telephoto High Definition Lenses plus a ultraviolet UV protection filter, a high-sensitivity condenser directional microphone, a 160 LED ultra high power panel light including rechargeable battery and travel charger, a Mini Tabletop Monopod, a 8hr backup smart-battery pack/charger, professional photo/video all-weather backpack, Blu-Ray® quality 50mbit/sec video, and all the latest apps photo and video apps for the iPad. With this kit in hand, students are on their way to becoming the next generation of storytellers.

Along with the Mojo Academic comes a three-day hands on training course entitled “Teaching the Teachers” with the aim of bridging the curriculum gap by training educators in basic journalism skills including ethics, conducting interviews, multimedia editing, basic photo and video composition, and the opportunity to create their own photo and video package so the teachers learn by doing. It also gives a chance for educators to introduce new and exciting techniques into their classrooms.

International Media Solutions’ continues to establish new relationships with schools, media centers, and NGOs around the world. We’re now working with Kent State University, Youngstown University, South Orange Community College, Sunburst Middle School, Bucklodge Middle School, and Carol Middle School. All are now in the midst of being equipped with the Mojo Academic.

IMS also teamed up with World Learning, FHI 360, and Chemonics on some new business proposals we hope to announce here shortly.

We are ecstatic about the establishment of the Media Innovation Incubator within the Information Warfare Center (IWC) based in Vilnius, which aims to combat propaganda during wartime and create honest real-time reporting during periods of conflict.

Definitely one of our favorite trips this year was being part of the 7th Annual Media Bar Camp in beautiful Nida, Lithuania.

The first day began with people immediately focusing in on the events in Ukraine and the difficulties that journalists have been facing there.  Day 2 kicked off with more presentations by different groups and activists, with people wearing blue and yellow shirts in solidarity with Ukraine. Day 3 commemorated 20 years of the creation of the Belarusian domain name, while Day 4 wrapped up the conference.

International Media Solutions CEO Michael Clarke gave a presentation on how to turn a tablet or smartphone into a HD mobile studio as part of a Master Class on mobile journalism on Day 3.

Michael was also on the panel to judge the best presentations. Each winner won an Olloclip as a prize and we would like to extend a large thank you to Olloclip for donating the prizes to Media BarCamp.  It was an amazing four days and as you can see by all the different visuals participants took here.

Starting since 2012 International Media Solutions has been involved in the Voices4Change program which aims to create the next generation of storytellers in the Middle East in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia.  You can see one of their amazing videos below:

We also continued our work with ACDI/VOCA’s Women’s Leadership in Small and Medium Enterprises (WLSME) in Kyrgyzstan. Since June 2013 we have worked with WLSME for its staff and members to learn the latest in media training. 

We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for continuing to be with us throughout 2014.  Get ready as we continue to visit new countries and deliver new and exciting products in 2015!

The Mojo Academic is our premier Mojo Kit for the classroom. Its aim is to help students gain a practical understanding of how to develop and produce a story. But what about the educators who have to teach this material?

International Media Solutions has created a MoJo Professional Development course for teachers, professors, and mentors. Through the MoJo Professional Development course educators are exposed to everything one would need to teach a multimedia course including: journalism ethics, basics of light and sound, interviewing techniques, photo and video editing, principles of composition, and the chance to produce their own video package and ask critical questions of the peers and community throughout the process.

The blended online course, hosted on iTunes U, begins with a goal setting exercise and moves on to an overview technology components and safety and culture sensitivities. Then the curriculum moves to how media plays a role in civic engagement and social activism. Next participants learn video story essentials like storyboarding and shooting in the field, helping to unbolt the classroom. Afterwards teachers learn how to operate the Mojo Kit, understand the best practices for shooting, and practice shooting.  Finally teachers go through the post-production process ending with a final short video product to demonstrate what they learned. 

Our unique approach allow for collaborative learning and team building in the classroom, as well as engage tech savvy students to explore the world outside of the classroom. As part of this new initiative we created a Mojo Advisory Board composed of Max V. Grubb Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Youngstown State University; Karl Idsvoog, Professor at Kent State University and trainer for journalists, business executives and information specialists; and Samuel Compton, a specialist in advocacy, accountability, with a long history of international work including the Institute of War & Peace Reporting. 

Upon completion of the course you'll be able to lead your students through the multimedia creation process while gaining real life experience in producing a news story. 

The MoJo Kit Academic produces content-rich nonfiction in history, social studies, sciences, technical studies, athletics, and the arts. The MoJo Kit Academic enables powerful digital storytelling through interactive media design and ensures that students can independently build knowledge in the disciplines above. Our product improves students’ comprehension and mastery of literacy including: 

• Understanding and using the English and native language effectively in a variety of contexts and settings’ how language variety reflects and shapes experience; 
  
• Practicing writing as a recursive process; 
  
• Using writing, speaking, and visual expression for personal understanding and growth; using content, form, voice, and style appropriate to the audience and purpose; 
  
• Making conscious choices about language, form, style, and visual representation; exploring and examining the processes (creative) writers and video producers go through in the development of short non-fiction videos and contemporaneous news reportage; 
  
• Establishing mentorships and professional linkages with existing media professionals in their community; and 
  
• Learn communication skills, visual arts, information literacy, oral fluency, public speaking, technology skills, technical writing skills, critical thinking skills, auditory and listening skills, and online and digital publishing experience through sharing their stories with the world.
  

Since a lot of this technology is new, even to educators, we developed a three-day hands on training course entitled “Teaching the Teachers” with the aim of bridging the curriculum gap by training educators in basic journalism skills including ethics, conducting interviews, multimedia editing, basic photo and video composition, and the opportunity to create their own photo and video package so the teachers learn by doing. It also gives a chance for educators to introduce new and exciting techniques into their classrooms. 

The Mojo Kit Academic’s ultimate aim is to transform your tablet into a full high-definition, broadcast quality, mobile multimedia studio. 

REPOSTED FROM PBS MEDIASHIFT
JournoSec is a column aimed at helping journalists better under the security, privacy and anonymity challenges they currently face, and steps they can take to protect themselves. Managed by OpenITP Outreach Manager Sandra Ordonez, it brings together leading voices from the community behind open-source technologies that circumvent censorship and surveillance. For more information, follow @OpenITP. To become more involved, contact sandraordonez AT OpenITP DOT org.

On my first trip to Iraq in 2005, I remember being very aware of my security situation. At the time, I had not been to hostile environment training, and when I arrived, the hulking South African ex-special forces Personal Protection Officer who was lucky enough to have been assigned to babysitting me for the next week, turned around to me in our B6 armored suburban and asked me, “Do you know the number one thing you can do today to get home safely?”

Looking awkwardly at the weapon sitting next to me while fiddling with the Velcro on my body armor I responded timidly, “No. What?”

“Fasten your seatbelt,” he said with a laugh.

The lesson is: Often when we get out of our comfort zone we forget to do the most basic safety customs like fastening your seatbelt or looking both ways to cross the street.

Below are some tips and tricks I learned while living and working abroad over the past 15 years. My mantra is not to forget the small stuff; more than likely you are going to be injured in a vehicle accident, a natural event such as an earthquake, or a random act like a hotel fire rather than the spectacular events we see every day on TV.

When it comes to personal security, my favorite tip for anyone traveling is to wear sunglasses. This can be tough because in journalism school, we were taught not to wear sunglasses because it will affect what you are seeing through the viewfinder. To get around this, I tend to look over or under my sunglasses, but there is a reason every security personnel I have ever met wears shades: You can be aware of your surroundings without having to make eye contact or otherwise engage with those around you. Not making direct eye contact is the same advice park rangers give hikers in Glacier National Park when they encounter a grizzly bear. Ironically, the same advice works well for humans too.

Below are some basic items I take with me when I travel:

• My Med Kit/Go Kit that includes extra meds, basic first aid supplies, a flashlight, a lighter, and $500 USD.
• My smartphone with these emergency apps installed:
  • A Flashlight App that can signal SOS in Morse code.
  • Red Cross First Aid App, which is very useful if you need to brush up on your emergency A, B, C’s.
  • ubAlert — Disaster Alert Network. The app gives you all the information you need when it comes to disasters happening across the world. It provides you with alerts that contain basic event details, impact statistics, maps, images, videos and more. What I like is that you can instantly share alerts with co-workers, family members and friends to get them out of harm’s way via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
  • !Emergency!: If you travel a lot, but do not always have time to find out the important numbers of the country you are in, then this app is for you. This app will show a map of hospitals and clinics in the vicinity of the current location, and one that will show the nearest embassy of the nationality that is entered, which is very useful.
  • wikiHow – How to and DIY Survival Guide: This free wikiHow app has an excellent set of articles to help you in just about any situation, from helping someone who is choking to handling vehicle emergencies, to natural disasters.
  • ICE Standard – Emergency Standard Card: The emergency standard card has not only your basic information, such as name and birthdate, but areas to list your emergency contacts, any medications you are taking, allergies, conditions and medical devices and your blood type. You can also include your insurance information as well as any other information you think might be helpful to those treating you. Even if you aren’t incapacitated, it’s good to have all this information all together in one place.
  • Google Maps: I can’t tell you how many times Google Maps has gotten me back on track, especially with dishonest cab drivers. Whether walking, driving or taking public transport, Google Maps has you covered when you don’t know where you are going.
  • A “dumbphone” for basic local phone calls and text messages with extra phone cards to recharge my line. I ensure all my local and international numbers are programed in with nicknames to protect my sources.
  • Back-up batteries and/or “lip-stick” chargers with a universal USB battery charger to recharge all your devices whether you are in the car or at office.
  • A MoJo Kit, or mobile journalism kit, that I can write, shoot, edit, and distribute photos and video from one device without attracting too much attention.

Along with personal security these days, journalists need to have a robust communications security plan. This includes securing your phone(s), email, SMS, chats, and passwords. Below are some of my favorite resources for securing my communications:

• Phone: Smartphones and even dumbphones have a unique identity. Unless you obtain an anonymous phone, nothing you say is private. To communicate privately, make calls only between anonymous phones. When I’m abroad I try to use unregistered pre-paid SIM cards in my dumbphone whenever possible. I also try to avoid paying for a phone or SIM cards using a credit card, which creates a connection between my phone or SIM card and my bank account. Before going abroad, I would recommend every journalist read Tactical Tech’s “How to use smartphones as securely as possible.”
• Email: Your email is not secure either. Recently secure, encrypted email services Lavabit and Secret Circle voluntarily shut down, but there are still some for-pay email providers (largely based outside the U.S.) that use powerful security like OpenPGP and public-key encryption, and swear they won’t let prying eyes see your data. I am very excited to see Lavabit founder Ladar Levison and Silent Circle recently concluded a successful Kickstarter initiative to help fund the development and rollout of the first Dark Mail clients. (“Dark Mail can guarantee that when a third party does gain access, or demands access, the privacy users rightfully deserve is maintained without fail.”) Until launched, I would recommend checking out RiseUp, a collective organization dedicated to providing private and secure email and hosting services.
• SMS: I do not recommend using SMS to communicate any sensitive information. SMS is searchable and indexable. If you have to use SMS, consider using software such as CryptoSMS or SMS007 that are commercial SMS encryption tools that can be installed on your phone. If this is not realistic, one of my favorite organizations, Small World News, advises “to create a simple system to avoid security breaches by creating a coded communication system with trusted colleagues.” It is simple to build up a collection of “codes” to relay basic information. For example, “D” could mean you’re in danger, and “S” could mean you’re safe. I also try to delete all received and sent messages.
• Chat/VoIP: Instant messaging is often more secure than email. For encrypted chat I use Cryptocat. Cryptocat uses modern web technologies to provide easy-to-use, accessible encrypted chat with your friends, right in your browser. Everything is encrypted before it leaves your computer — even the Cryptocat network itself can’t read your messages. Regardless of the software, I recommend everyone utilize Off The Record Messaging (OTR). OTR was set up to provide deniability for metadata, which means that unlike with many less-secure kinds of email, even if somehow someone got their hands on a transcript, there’s no way to prove exactly who was communicating.
• Passwords: I recommend any journalist should change their password every month, but how do you keep coming up with good passwords? My favorite tip I learned recently for creating a long and robust password is to use a formula like your best friend’s home address. For example: 1600PennsylvaniaAve.WashingtonDC20500. If that doesn’t work for you, try KeePass, an easy-to-use, powerful tool that helps you store and manage all your passwords in a highly secure database.

Bad choices are the most common risk we all face. I have adapted these rules from Small World News’ “Guide to Safely and Securely Producing Media” to help me avoid bad choices when I’m traveling:

• I always tell someone where I’m going and when I’ll will be back.
• When filming, I like to travel in pairs, or groups of three if possible. I like to shoot with a cameraperson, a lighting/sound person, and a director/producer (me) who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the team.
• I try to know all the routes in and out of where we will be filming.
• If possible I try to conduct a “recce” before filming.
• I trust my local friends, but never trust anyone I don’t know.
• I always try to have a backup plan. If things go wrong, everyone in your team should know what the plan is and a secure location to meet up after if you get separated.
• I always have a local contact that has access to a car that I know I can trust in an emergency if I have to evacuate. In Iraq I always insisted on working with a local driver who knew the “unwritten rules” of the road, spoke the local language along with English, understood the risks, and knew the back routes in and out of the city.
• I recommend performing a basic vehicle inspection if you are planning on traveling long distances. If possible, arrange for a car that has seatbelts, airbags, good tires including a spare, a jack, extra gasoline, food, and clean water if there is a scarcity.
• Finally, I always do a walkthrough of my hotel when I arrive and the emergency exits to ensure they are not locked or blocked. I also request a room on the backside of the hotel near the emergency exit, not just because it is safer, but also it is often quieter.

Over the years, the tips and recommendations above have been handed down to me or been learned the hard way. I’ve found they work regardless if you are in Paris or Paktia. I would like to thank Tactical Tech and Small World News for all of their hard work ensuring this information is shared. If you have any other tips or recommendations, please let me know, and remember, don’t forget the small stuff.

On May 7, the 110th anniversary of the Press Restoration, Language and Book Day in Lithuania, International Media Solutions LLC (IMS) congratulated the Lithuanian people, specifically their journalists, on the resumption of a free press.  Quoting the Austrian-born journalist and diplomat Henry Anatole Grunwald, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” Given the events in Ukraine today, this quote should resonate with all those who stand up for our undeniable right to a free and fair press. 

International Media Solutions is pleased to announce on such a historic day, the formation of an international strategic partnership between our firm (www.international-media.net), a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) based in Washington, DC and the Patriot Programmer Movement led by Olek Suchodolski based in Vilnius. Together we will be establishing an open Media Innovation Incubator within the Information Warfare Center (IWC) based in Vilnius, Lithuania to combat propaganda and informational warfare with real-time content creation that results in honest and fact-based reporting. At the center of the incubator is the revolutionary MoJo Kit® (www.mojokit.info); a high-definition, broadcast quality, multimedia mobile reporting tool for non-journalists and journalists. MoJo Kits® are currently deployed in Egypt, Guatemala, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, and the United States. The latest version would be an information warfare device produced in Lithuania based entirely off of open-source technology and software. The device will allow the user to compose, produce, edit, and distribute HD multimedia content (print, audio, photo, and video), securely, in real-time without ever having to transfer sensitive data between devices.  No other public device in the world currently has this capability. 

The IWC Media Innovation Incubator will be an international center of new media technologies. It will train activists and journalist in the region to report and correct the misinformation being distributed by corrupt news outlets in the Baltics and around the globe. The content produced with the device will be distributed to credible local, national, and international media outlets with 70% of the profits generated by the content produced, being paid to the content producer. IMS fosters the collaboration of higher education and business to address the outward mobility of graduates from lower-wage economies.  Careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) prepare today’s workforce for the requirements of a highly competitive global economy.  This initiative will not only combat propaganda, but also will create higher-wage STEM jobs in Lithuania’s growing technology sector and create regional capacity within the journalism community to uphold and fight for a free and independent press.

Together International Media Solutions and Patriot Programmers will be seeking financial support through grants similar to the Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP), which was established in late 2012 to provide rapid response to threats to Internet freedom. The Partnership aims at keeping the Internet open and free from emerging threats, specifically in Internet repressive and transitional environments. It also wants to increase and better coordinate emergency support for the Internet’s critical users, such as bloggers, cyber activists, journalists and human rights defenders, whenever and wherever they are under threat. As an initial investment, the governments of the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Estonia, Republic of Latvia, Czech Republic and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) have dedicated financial support. The Partnership is managed by Hivos, an international NGO based in the Netherlands.

Together we call on journalists, academia, business leaders and public policy makers of the international community to join this initiative to ensure a free and open press remains in Europe today and in the future. 

Earlier this year we were proud to announce the Mojo Kit Micro. Along with the Micro came a long list of accessories, including the Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone lens. International Media Solutions is proud to announce that it is now an official reseller of the olloclip meaning you can come to us directly for this great piece of technology!

So what’s all the hype behind the olloclip?  The olloclip is an amazing 4-in-1 lens system that includes a fisheye lens, a wide-angle lens, and two macro lens. The wide-angle lens doubles the iPhone’s normal field of view, while the macro lenses magnify 10x or 15x. Olloclip claims "The wide-angle and fisheye lenses have been improved to deliver sharper images, edge to edge, with less lens distortion and enhanced clarity overall.”

IMS was recently told that it is one of the first companies to be working exclusively with international activists and journalists in conflict and post-conflict zones utilizing the olloclip to reduce our footprint in these sensitive areas. Instead of carrying expensive bulky camera that could be stolen, broken or apprehended, the olloclip combined with the Mojo Kit Micro allows journalists to go out in the field with the smallest footprint possible without having to worry about a loss of quality in their content.  The MoJo Kit shoots in Blu-Ray® quality 50mbit/sec video with 1920 x 1080 HD resolution at 48 kHz (384 kbytes/sec) audio. 

Additionally, unlike traditional cameras, the MoJo Kit allows journalists to write, shoot, edit, and distribute their work from one single device. No longer do journalists have to worry about their expensive equipment possibly being confiscated at their next international boarder checks since the MoJo Kit is based off of the phone in your pocket.

Currently the olloclip is only available for iPhones and iPods, but the company has informed us that the iPad version will be coming out any day now. And a Samsung version is in beta testing to address the much neglected Android market. 

Looking forward, get ready as IMS heads out to Lithuania this week for the 7th Annual Media Bar Camp to celebrate 20 years of the .BY (Belarus) domain extension where IMS will be training 150 journalists from Ukraine, Belarus, and Uzbekistan on how to get their MoJo back. 

So next time you are in the field forget to clip on your olloclip when using your Mojo Kit Micro! 

After a year of trainings in Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon, International Media Solutions’ owner, Mike Clarke, is back in the US. This past month Mike provided trainings to the students of the U.S. Department of State funded Global UGRAD for Serbia and Montenegro and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows at the University of Maryland.

The Global UGRAD for Serbia and Montenegro which is implemented by World Learning, provides scholarships for students to attend universities in the United States for one year of undergraduate, non-degree study. Along with their studies, students engage in community service projects and internships, form lasting connections with Americans, and serve as cultural ambassadors of their home countries. For those of you that may not remember, Serbia and Montenegro were once part of Yugoslavia and were the scenes of heavy fighting in the early 1990’s as the Balkans fell into a state of civil war.

The UGRAD students were treated to a Prezi on “New Media Tools for Advocacy” while getting the chance to play with the Mojo Kit Original, Micro, and Mini.  The objective of the training was to further the UGRAD students to leadership skills in communications and advocacy by exposing them to new, low-cost online tools and to help them maximize the impact of their work. 

One-thing journalists need to learn about is revenue streams. Let’s face it journalists have to eat too! International Media Solutions gave a presentation to the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows on “New Avenues of Revenue for Journalists.” In the past traditional media outlets were the only place communication professionals could publish their work. As Mike points out in his Prezi, there are now new ways journalists can get their stories out there and make money including new media and self-publishing.  Websites such as Storyhunter, NewsModo, and Transterra Media allow journalists to upload their content, pitch it, and hope to get it sold.  They can also crowdfund their projects. These new avenues of revenue are helping give journalists more control over their projects while putting more money in their pockets.