Minority Voices Newsroom

[Source: Soul Beat, February 8, 2011]

Program Summary
Launched in September 2010 by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Minority Rights Group International (MRG), Minority Voices Newsroom is an online multimedia library that showcases the stories of minority and indigenous communities in developing countries and makes these stories available to the global media. The website is designed to enable journalists to identify stories and develop useful media contacts - with a focus on minorities and indigenous peoples.

Communication Strategies
Members of a minority group or an indigenous community, or their supporters, can - after having completed a free registration process - upload first-hand accounts, interviews, reports, pictures and audio and video footage addressing issues of importance to them. Journalists and others wishing to use these contributions or learn more can then download and use the material from the website under Creative Commons licenses. The idea is that community activists and individuals - even those in very remote areas - can use this website to share their untold stories with the world's media so that journalists can investigate their situation. According to MRG, the communities featured on this website are some of the economically poorest and most disempowered, who otherwise have little or no opportunity to make their voices heard.

Development Issues
Rights, Media Development.

Key Points
The Minority Voices Newsroom is part of a 3-year development and training project being run by MRG that also involves: providing community activists with training in building websites, making films, using social networking tools, writing press releases and building lists of media contacts. The overall aims of the Minority Voices program are to increase the inclusion of minority and indigenous peoples' perspectives in the European Union (EU) media, particularly in coverage of development issues relating to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and increase awareness among development policymakers of the specific needs of minority and indigenous communities in meeting the MDGs.

Partners
Funding provided by the European Union.

Contact
Farah Mihlar
Media Officer
Minority Rights Group International (MRG)

54 Commercial Street
London
E1 6LT
United Kingdom (UK)
Tel: 44 (0) 207 422 4205
Fax: 44 (0) 7870 596 863

MRG website
farah.mihlar@mrgmail.org
minority.rights@mrgmail.org

Source
"Introducing the Minority Voices Newsroom - Frontline New Media Meets Marginalized Communities," press release, sent from Mohamed Matovu to Soul Beat Africa on September 23, 2010; and Minority Voices Newsroom, February 8, 2011.