"The entire Russia" learned about eco-school

At the country's largest media forum, the Omsk Union of Journalists presented its project "Eco-School for Modern Media".

The XXVI Forum of Contemporary Journalism, which was held from September 23 to 27 in Sochi, was attended by more than 1,000 journalists from all regions of Russia and foreign countries, such as India, Serbia, as well as delegations from the DPR and Kherson region.

The forum's educational program included meetings with well-known journalists, media industry experts, master classes, and round tables. There was a discussion club, an exhibition center, and a TV lounge.

The Omsk delegation consisted of 13 people: editors-in-chief of print and television media, journalists, heads of press services of industrial enterprises. At the country's largest media forum, the Omsk Union of Journalists organized two platforms at once: a photo exhibition "Faces of Omsk Journalism" and a presentation of the Eco-School for Modern Media project.

Unique project

The presentation of the eco-school was included in the program of the forum first day. Colleagues from different regions visited the platform of Omsk journalists to learn from their experience: Krasnoyarsk Territory, Kursk, Kurgan and Kemerovo regions, Bashkortostan, Luhansk and Kherson. The forum was moderated by Andrey Motovilov, Chairman of the Omsk Regional branch of the Union of Journalists of Russia.

“Omsk is a major industrial center. And ecology is one of the favorite topics of journalists. Therefore, the eco-school turned out to be a very popular project. Thanks to our classes, you can improve your competencies, gain new knowledge, as well as master tools for working with information, learn to understand terminology and processes of environmental modernization,” said Andrey Motovilov, Chairman of the Omsk Union of Journalists. “The eco-school forms a pool of journalists and bloggers who would be able to talk about ecology competently, without making gross mistakes and without creating new myths. In addition, the eco-school becomes an open dialogue platform for the media and industrial enterprises, environmentalists”.

The project partners were the Russian Geographical Society, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Omsk Region, industrial enterprises: Gazprom Neft Omsk refinery plant and AO GC Titan

The project started in early April, and during this period about 50 people were trained.

The uniqueness of the eco-school is that it is the first educational project for Omsk journalists covering the topic of ecology. A diverse educational program provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the issues, together with experts to understand complex topics.

Current topic

Roman Serebryany, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia, spoke at the project presentation.  

“It is great that the Omsk branch of the Union of Journalists initiates projects that are needed by colleagues in the shop, and involves new partners in the orbit of its activities. The topic of ecology is currently in the top of the list in terms of relevance. And such educational programs as the “Eco-school for Modern Media” are very popular today. Because in the exchange of experience, in the interaction of journalists better understand the subtleties and peculiarities of coverage of this or that topic. Thanks to the educational project, journalists cover environmental issues as competently as possible. And this is the most important thing for the reader, viewer, and listener ,” said Roman Serebryany, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia.

Andrey Motovilov, moderator of the presentation, spoke about the main stages of the project implementation – lectures, press tours, meetings with experts, master classes, as well as current topics that students of the eco-school understood in detail.

With your own eyes

Anastasia Evdokimova, the curator of the eco-school and its active participant, a journalist of the Omsk Television Company, shared the highlights of press tours outside the city, to specially protected natural territories of the Omsk region. And there were two such trips-to the Steppe nature reserve and to Lake Ebeyty.

One of the most important components of the program was excursions to industrial enterprises. Students got acquainted with unique environmental projects of the largest oil refinery in Russia. We also saw with our own eyes the eco-technologies of the Omsk Oil Refinery.

“Omsk Oil Refinery follows the principles of environmental openness in its work. Today, everyone can find out what transformations Omsk refinery plant is carrying out in the course of environmental modernization of production. The participants of the eco-school, who studied the experience of our environmental activities, were also able to make sure that environmental information is publicly available ,” said Oleg Belyavsky, General Director of the Omsk Oil Refinery.

The project participants got acquainted with modern and eco-friendly production facilities of AO GC Titan

“We have identified an interesting direction for ourselves within the framework of the eco-school – which we will continue to develop in the future - this is a project workshop. We plan to work in the framework of the project workshop with schoolchildren and students of specialized educational institutions. In the projects that we develop and support, the principle of how an individual can improve the environment around them, preserve and minimize the impact on the environment is embedded. These are such projects as "Eco-thinking", "Eco-Saturday" and "Cleanliness". The latter was created within the framework of the Eco-School of Modern Media,” said Tatyana Voronova, Head of the Information Policy Department of AO GC Titan.

Invaluable experience

The presentation was attended by graduates of the eco-school, winners of the creative competition "Proecology-to be honest", which was held within the framework of the project. Journalists Vladimir Mutovkin and Tatiana Masterskikh shared their impressions and experience.

“It was very valuable for me to learn from the practical experience of the speakers who conducted the classes. And among them were not only environmental experts, but also active journalists from other regions who cover the topic of ecology at a high professional level, " said Vladimir Mutovkin.

Tatiana Masterskikh noted that the school had given her not only new knowledge, but also encouraged her to create her own environmental projects.  

“I am interested in working in social networks, gathering not just eco-activists, but experts "under the wing" of my information platform. I look for and cover all initiatives that contribute to improving the environmental situation in the Omsk region,” said Tatyana Masterskikh.

The project of the Omsk Union of Journalists aroused great interest among the forum participants. After the presentation there were a lot of questions from the audience - about the features of the educational program, interaction with partners, the composition of participants and further development of the project. This once again confirms its relevance, not only for a particular region, but for all of Russia.

Link to the source

Back