Institute for War & Peace Reporting reporting/training dynamic Article path

1. Institute for War & Peace Reporting reporting/training dynamic Article path • This flow chart demonstrates the path that an article takes as it progresses -- from idea to eventual publication -- through the IWPR reporting/training dynamic. It displays the points at which contributing journalists are involved in systematised, structured planning of their articles alongside peers, experienced regional colleagues and human rights experts. And it shows the crucial slog of revision and re-writing under the guidance of top-level international journalists -- training by doing under the eyes of experienced mentors. • There are 10 stages to the process: • Local Issues: identifying central themes and news • Story Planning: story ideas, strategy for obtaining information, article structure • Reporting: finding ways around informational roadblocks, writing the first draft • Consultation & Revision: re-reporting and rewriting, honing the story and skills • Translation: translation into English, adding of relevance and sharp news focus • Final Draft: extended consultation to meet international journalism standards • Internet Publication: vast exposure on IWPR’s award-winning website • Local Publication: displays higher level work to other journalists, exposes readers • to impartial voices from neighboring communities to which they have not access • Regional Debate: cross-border debate fosters regional understanding and accord • Evaluation: of each story to seal lessons from the reporting/training process. • It should be noted that this is a rigorous process - at any stage an article can be killed, Though it should be noted that as a matter because of its training mission, IWPR prefers extensive work with contributors to bring work up to the required level rather than killing pieces, which is rare.

2. A basic thematic frame of reference is set by IWPR’s mission and culture. General areas from which article themes can be drawn include: human rights, transition to democracy, conflict and conflict resolution, and civil liberties. Journalists Country editors Human rights NGOs Regional editor Country editors Journalists Regional editor Human rights NGOs Journalist • General themes within • IWPR’s frame of • reference which are • relevant to the country • and the region are • identified at initial • meetings of country • editors, journalists, • local human rights, • and the regional • editor • At regular meetings • between the country • editor and contributing • journalists specific • story ideas are • suggested (by either • party) and discussed. • Suggestions and input • are added by the • regional editor and, • again, local human • rights NGOs may • contribute to that • process. • Next, a journalist is • commissioned to write • the article. It could be • that a journalist who • came with an idea is • commissioned to write • it; or that a journalist • whom we are already • training is given an • idea to work on; or that • a new journalist with • potential is matched up • to a new idea. 1. Local issues

3. Country editors Journalists Regional editor • Detailed story • planning now goes on, • in discussions between • the journalist, • country editor and the • regional editor. What • will be the reporting • strategy? (Human • rights groups could be • involved there). What • will be the article’s • structure? What is the • deadline? The fee? • Next the journalist • performs the • reporting for article • Following this, the • journalist writes the • first draft of the article • The first draft goes • either to the country or • regional editor • The country editor • may return it to • journalist with revision • suggestions: more • reporting or re-writing • If not, it is passed on • to the regional editor, • who works on the article • in the original language • The regional editor • may edit and pass on • the article’s first draft, • but this is rare • Usually the regional • editor goes over the • article with the • journalist, asking for • information on • unanswered questions, • insisting on extra detail, • making suggestions for • passages to be • re-worked 2. Story planning Human rights NGOs Journalist 3. Reporting Journalist Country editor Regional editor (London) 4. Consultation and revision Second draft Journalist

4. After these revisions a • strong second draft of • the article has • emerged. The regional • editor now decides • whether the article will • be published only in • the local language, or • if it should also enter • the international • publication cycle. • Articles for local • language publication • will go to a copy • editor/ proof reader • for a final check, • before being released • for publication on the • local language sections • of IWPR’s web-site, • IWPR e-mail list • serves, and for • republication in local • newspapers • Articles entering the • international • publication cycle will • next go to a translator Regional editor (London) 4. Consultation and revision International (English) publication cycle Local language publication cycle Copy editor/ proof reader Local newspapers IWPR local language e-mail list serves IWPR web-site local language sections 5. Local publication Translator 6. Translation

5. The managing editor • now reads the article to • confirm that it is • appropriate to proceed • through the • international cycle • editing process for • international • publication • The article is then • given an English • language edit by either • the managing editor, • the assistant editor, or • a free-lance editor. • This team has an • international • perspective, and looks • for reporting holes that • might impair • international readers’ • understanding of the • article; additional • background to that • needed in the local • version; and at libel • issues from an • international • standpoint • The article may pass • straight on, but more • likely is it that it will • be sent back to the • regional editor, if • minor changes are • needed. If more major • work is required • (additional information • or more reporting), • then the regional • editor will send the • article back to the • journalist, working • with him or her to plug • the gaps. This process • produces the third • draft. When the • regional editor • approves the third • draft, it goes back to its • English language • editor. If all is well, it • is passed on the • managing editor Managing editor Managing editor Assistant editor Free-lance editor 7. Final draft Regional editor (London) Journalist Managing editor

6. At this stage the • managing editor does • a final assessment of • the article, considering • issues such as libel; • political sensitivity and • the safety of the • journalist; the • possibility of • syndication to the • Western press, etc. • Occasionally IWPR’s • executive director • enters the process at • this stage, in the case • of a potentially • libellous article • requiring legal • consultation, or if an • article is particularly • politically sensitive or • controversial • The article is now • released for • publication in English • on IWPR’s web-site, • and on our e-mail list • serves. Extensive • republication occurs • due to spamming of • our list serves by • regional and specialist • list-serves, as well as • due to links to our site • by services such as • moreover.com and • OneWorld.com • In some cases the • article goes on to • translators, for • translation back into • the original language, • or other languages for • further republication in • the local newspapers, • list-serves and local • language web-site • sections of those • languages. Managing editor 7. Final draft IWPR executive director IWPR e-mail list serves IWPR web-site List-serve spamming Web-site links 8. Internet publication Translator Local newspapers IWPR local language e-mail list serves IWPR web-site local language sections

7. Although the article’s journey has ended, two more activities follow. • The first is regional debate: • Of course there is the natural debate amongst readers -- whether they be specialists, or • ordinary newspaper-reading citizens -- that follows the publication of quality, controversial • or provocative journalism on human rights themes • Frequently there are interviews in the media with the writers or editors of the work • IWPR also holds issue-oriented meetings at which discussion of published articles, and • debriefing, occurs. Human rights groups partners often input. 9. Regional debate • Evaluation follows: • Human rights partners produce monitoring “report cards” giving their evaluation of the • performance of the journalists and media • Monthly workshops held by IWPR branch offices offer the chance to share evaluations of • articles with the individual journalists responsible. The same process takes place one-to-one • outside the monthly workshop format. • Quarterly regional seminars evaluate performance across the whole region, and involve local • IWPR editors, London-based regional editors, as well as a diverse range of human rights and • civil society representatives. • [NOTE: IWPR is now working on recruiting a specialist editor to further systematise this part of the reporting/training dynamic. Evaluation systems will be the major component of the role. 10. Evaluation