First in Georgia – New Media Forum
On October 12-13, The New Media Forum was organized with financial support of Open Society Georgia Foundation and Mtatsminda Park.
During four days the Mtatsminda pavilions presented seminars and presentations on various topics and introduced abilities of inter-media and civil journalism. Media society gathered at the forum with more than 200 active, beginner and student journalists, had possibility to choose and attend seminars on the topics of their interest.
Leading specialists of new media from The US, Britain, Czech Republic, Poland, Armenia and Azerbaijan were invited as instructors. The seminars mostly covered following topics:
– Tools for opening a blog, how to administer a blog;
– How to advertise a blog to reach the broader audience;
– How to administer internet broadcasting efficiently and how to reach the voice to the world;
– Social Impact of the new media. How to use web-technologies for social campaign;
– How to plan new media projects.
Further to introducing international best practices, Georgian Bloggers such as Dodi Kharkheli, Mariam Talakhadze, Niko Nergadze, Nodar Davituridze and Giga Paitchadze presented to the audience significant aspects of creating blog and using internet media in Georgian context. Giorgi Japaridze presented newly created educational-informational media portal www.mediaeducation.ge, which will keep professional journalists, media trainers and students updated on competitions, academic programs, vacancies; it will help them get familiar with opinion of various experts and be involved in discussions with them.
The Forum was finalized by presentation of Georgian blog catalogue www.blogroll.ge which is the first catalogue and compilation of Georgian blogs. This unique collection will promote relations among Georgian bloggers and interested readers.
The foundation director Qeti Khutsishvili mentioned story of Iran as an example of force of new media in the era of communications when despite informational blackout the world learnt about ongoing events in Iran from the shots taken by citizens’ mobiles. She mentioned that support of new internet-media became one of the foundation’s priorities several months ago and the Foundation plans to continue initiation of interesting projects in this field. This field is highly promising. Traditional media has its audience and the new one will have its own.
“It goes without saying that today the new media, alias “Social media”, is very promising, but surely it won’t fully substitute the traditional one. One of the presentations “Guttenberg vs. Twitter” well depicts the contradiction between printed words on the paper and typed on a computer or mobile which may have many readers”, mentioned Khutsishvili.
According to new media coordinator of President Obama’s presidency campaign, Merice Winton, who was invited as an instructor, the interest of Georgian audience towards new finding in internet space is really huge. “I was amazed at keen interest of audience. We discussed various aspects of the new media. While working together we explored effective ways of problem solution”.
The forum was especially fruitful to those participants who were fresher in using abilities of the new media. “We have just created the web-site of our journal “Liberal. We’ve always experienced difficulties in reaching our readers and getting their feedback. I was always interested in their opinion on our web-page. During these two days I learnt a lot about how to use web-page efficiently for communication. The instructors introduced these ways to us. Now I’m clear about what to do and how to start”, Said Anita Tvauri, journalist of Liberal.ge.
For additional information about the seminars, instructors and the forum please, visit the web: www.newmediaforum.ge
See what Georgian bloggers write about the forum
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/10/14/georgia-new-media-forum
/http://bigcrow.ge/2009/10/14/new-media-forum-2009/
http://komunage.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_2775.html
Contact person
Khatia Jinjikhadze
Media support Program Manager