Media Lab training: ‘We need to speak for ourselves!’

Media Lab training: ‘We need to speak for ourselves!’

On Monday 17 February, Migrant Voice held a Media Lab Training session at Glasgow’s Samaritan House in Govanhill. People from different cultures and backgrounds joined to learn skills from professionals on camera work, interviewing, and making documentaries and zines. Everyone had the chance to pick and attend two of the four training sessions available throughout the evening.

Trainers were journalists and media professionals who volunteered to share their knowledge with attendees wishing to pursue a career in media or simply get some tips on engaging with journalists or being creative.

Snacks and refreshments were provided and everyone had a warm welcome from Amparo Fortuny, Migrant Voice’s Network Community Worker in Glasgow and Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, who came from London to join us. Nazek introduced us to Migrant Voice’s activities, impressing on us how important it is for migrants to be trained and able to tell their own stories, and not allow others to speak in their name: ‘WE NEED TO SPEAK FOR OURSELVES!’ was the message.

The event was informal and a great opportunity to meet and make friends with people from around the globe, while learning useful tips and insights.

In attendance were people from Scotland, Nepal, New Zealand, Germany, Honduras, Spain, Pakistan, Poland, and Romania, just to name a few. Some had a background in media, while others were just curious to learn about different ways to share their own stories with the world and make their voices heard.

Here’s some of what we learned…

Tips on interviewing from Catriona Stewart (journalist at The Herald):

• Try to build up a rapport beforehand with the person you are interviewing;
• It’s good to have a chat first - don’t jump straight to questioning;
• Be genuinely interested (people can tell if you are not listening or paying attention);
• You need to know your subject, so do your research beforehand;
• Try ice-breaker questions to make the interviewee relax and open up;
• Be time conscious and try to stay on the subject;
• Always think one step ahead!

Tips on documentary making from filmmaker Camelia Cazan:

• You can do your research online and in newspapers, but you need new stories, stories not done before;
• Once you have your idea, you need to create a proposal (a document to explain your idea), a treatment (a summary of what you are doing) and a teaser (a short video about your idea, similar to a trailer);
• When creating the script you need to have a direction, create a journey;
• You need access to contributors and they need to be honest and comfortable with you;
• You need a small crew – it’s easier for contributors to open up in front of fewer people;
• You need to stick to whatever you promised in the proposal!