The Council of Europe Office in Tirana in cooperation with the Albanian Media Institute organized three training modules for three groups of journalists on “Improving the quality of reporting on issues related to three marginalized groups in Albania: LGBT, Roma and people with mental health problems”. The training was organize on 14, 15, 16 April 2015 at the Albanian Media Institute (AMI) in Tirana, Albania.
The overall goal was to improve the quality of how journalists covers such stories by exposing and discussing some of the prejudices and misconceptions portrayed in the media today in relation to Roma, the LGBT community and people suffering mental health problems and the impact that these stories have in the life of the members of these groups.
About 50 journalists working for local and national media discussed frequent mistakes being made by journalists, the impact their stories have in the life of the members of these communities, some culture and historic background, as well as concluded with some remedies how to improve future reporting.
Trainers were David Whitbourn, journalist and communication expert (UK), Vincent Van Gerven, LGBT activist, and Ledia Lazeri, Director of World Health Organization in Albania.
The training were organized as part of the Council of Europe regional project Promoting freedom of expression and information and freedom of the media in South-East Europe with voluntary Contribution of the government of Norway.