Recent media activity

The Age Newspaper:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/many-voices-many-stories-and-a-shared-...

"THEY'RE an unlikely bunch of cub reporters with a common aim. They include former refugees from war-torn Sudan, a former Chinese diplomat, and a West Papuan who came to Australia on a wooden canoe..

"Project director Setyo Budi is an Indonesian-born journalist who worked in East Timor and is now passing on his skills to aspiring reporters from housing estates in Richmond, Atherton Gardens and Collingwood."

He said the project, which began in October last year, aimed to help individuals combat the ''isolation they feel due to cultural and language barriers''.

''There are voices hardly being represented by the media and I thought they have great stories to tell and, because of this under-representation, I think it would be great for them to do it themselves and be active citizens.''

Gilius Kogoya is one of 43 West Papuan asylum seekers who arrived in Cape York in 2006.

''I attended this training because I like to tell stories and write them to people who don't know what's going on.

''The situation in West Papua is in trouble because at the moment West Papuans try to separate themselves from Indonesian rule or occupation … and when people get involved in murder nobody knows, it's like a mystery,'' he said.

''If I were there I'd love to maybe write a story but it's too difficult because they block the media … and it's dangerous for journalists.''

The Australian Newspaper

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/giving-a-foreign-twist-to...

"A CITIZEN journalism project in Melbourne has provided an outlet for refugees and public housing residents to tell their stories and learn professional skills."

One of the trainees, Akech Manyel, was displaced from his native Sudan when he was six and sought refuge in neighbouring Kenya. He came to Australia in 2006 and last year volunteered to be a among the first intake of students at YarraReporter.

He has written a number of stories covering technology and cultural issues.

"To me it is something to express ideas and express yourself," Mr Manyel said. "I think writing is immediate and it is intimate."

At present, stories are voluntarily contributed to the site but Mr Budi is working on revenue models to support financial incentives, which could include advertising or subscription."

For further information or to organise an interview, please contact Anya Trybala at anya@infoxchange.net.au