by Dorothee Meyer-Holtkamp, Media and Outreach Coordinator, Near Media Co-op
Young Community Leaders and Media Literacy Training
In December 2024, Near FM teamed up with the YCL (Young Community Leaders), a programme for young people aged 16–25 from the Northside Partnership catchment area. We met over three weeks in the youth centre in Kilmore West Youth Project and in Near FM’s studios to discuss media, media literacy, critical thinking, inclusive programme production, and media law. We also recorded some stories and interviews in our studios.
YCL aims to:
- Enable young people to develop practical skills for personal, work or student life
- Give young people the opportunity to use their energy and talents in the community
- Offer support from other young leaders.
We are looking forward to seeing the group back in our studios in 2025 with a discussion on the Young Community Leaders programme, the new skills they learned, plans for their future and more local stories.
Women behind the Mic Media and Broadcast Training
Twelve great women took part in Near FM’s last ‘Women behind the mic’ media and broadcasting course from October to December 2024. We had open and vibrant discussions on inclusive radio production, media literacy, analysis, privilege, creating (and acting) a running order, recording, editing, and a lot of fun! We are looking forward to more FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Inter, Non-binary, Trans, Agender) radio makers and new diverse voices on air with us. After training, we encourage participants to practice their skills in our pre-recording studio and to shadow presenters in the live studio.
One of the participants, Orla, provided the following feedback:
I thoroughly enjoyed the Media Training course specifically designed for women. One of the first things I learned, and valued, was the importance of having an open mind, and not to lean into our natural biases. It’s easy to judge people based on our upbringing and societal background, so I really valued that first lesson. The class on research was very helpful in terms of asking all the questions and understanding the need for multiple sources. I loved the class where we were in the studio, learning about the equipment, and how to interview people and I really enjoyed using the small recording devices too! The class about libel scared me a little! But it was so important to understand what not to say, and how to handle a guest who might inadvertently say something inappropriate, or that may cause issues. I think there was plenty of variety in terms of the instructors/teachers, and lots of opportunity to express ourselves in a very safe space.
For more information on our training sessions, or to register your interest in future training, please email training@near.ie.
