Dates: 20 – 24 March 2017
Country: UK, London
Three Serbian journalists awarded for promoting tolerance through their work visited London and some of the most influential media and freedom of expression and human rights organisations. Journalists Nadezda Gace, Bojana Milovanovic and Biljana Radulovic were awarded for the stories on children with Down syndrome, elderly citizens living in a nursing home and people without legal capacity meaning without the right to marry and have children, to work and vote, to manage their own property. They were awarded by the OSCE Mission in Serbia and the Commission for Protection of Equality.
The Media Diversity Institute (MDI) organised the visit of the awarded journalists accompanied by the OSCE Media Programme representatives and the Serbian Commission for Protection of Equality spokesperson. During the study tour to London, MDI and the Serbian delegation visited the Guardian, Community Channel, Article 19, Media Legal Defence Initiative and the BBC where they met with the Head of BBC Diversity Department, Tunde Ogungbesan.
“It is very inspiring to know that, at the time of raising hate speech in the Serbian media, there are brave journalists who are making significant efforts to bring marginalised and vulnerable people to the public arena using the main principles of inclusive journalism ,” said MDI Executive Director Milica Pesic. “MDI is honoured to have had an opportunity to host the most successful among them and to share with them the UK media experience in dealing with diversity,” she added.
In the article published in Novi Magazin, the three awarded journalists summarised their impressions of London and the media response to the attack on the Parliament that happened in the same week.
This is the second time that MDI and the OSCE Media Program led by Gordana Jankovic collaborate on organising a visit for the awarded journalsits in Serbia. A part of their award for promoting tolerance through their work is to vist some of the biggest and the most influential British media and human rights organisations.