The first edition of the workshop took place at the camp last summer. This year's workshop was adapted to better align with final projects, which are flexible and include the option of completing either a written article, a photo series, or a video interview. Campers will complete these final projects by the time they leave Jõekääru before they are published in print and online.
The workshop's aim remains the same as last year’s: to instill in younger generations the importance of journalism and the value of Eesti Elu as a community hub of information, to inspire their creativity, and encourage them to be critically aware of their surroundings — online and elsewhere.
… they were also familiarized with other types of reporting, including music and sports media, to demonstrate that journalism is a creative field as much as it is a source of unbiased information.
The presentation began with a discussion of what the campers already knew about journalism. Many raised the point that journalism's importance is derived from its capacity to inform the public of the news they require to navigate the world. However, they were also familiarized with other types of reporting, including music and sports media, to demonstrate that journalism is a creative field as much as it is a source of unbiased information.
What followed was an overview of how to collect and analyze information. After brainstorming potential questions they could pose for their projects, campers were encouraged to explore their surroundings by taking notes and drawing the features they observed. They were also taught the basics of conducting interviews.
They learned how to synthesize this information in three types of journalism: written articles, photo series, and video interviews.
Written articles will be about a page long on a topic highlighting one aspect of the camper's experience. They will be done by hand and decorated however the campers choose. The photo series includes a series of photos covering one theme — for example, of the weekly dance, Simcoe trips, or “lipurivi” alongside a written blurb explaining the context of the photos. The video interview involves a conversation with another camper or member of staff on a topic related to camp activities.
The campers' exciting work will be published on our website, eestielu.ca.
When brainstorming ideas, campers came up with exciting topics, suggesting everything from “a day in my life as a lifeguard” to exploring the history of Jõekääru.
Though the camp has a no-phone policy, counsellors will lend campers their phones to assist them in taking pictures and recording videos. These activities will be supervised and will not impede the other planned activities of the camp.
Final projects will be collected by the end of camp on July 27th. The campers' exciting work will be published on our website, eestielu.ca. Be sure to check out their work and delve into this year’s camp activities through the eyes of Jõekääru's campers!
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
