Bolivia: Proud first set of graduates

"We're proud to be the first group of students in Bolivia to graduate from this high-quality program that’s based on the dual training system," said Clayton Benavides to the parents, lecturers and journalist colleagues attending the graduation ceremony in the Bolivian capital La Paz in late July. Benavides spoke on behalf the 16 edualeños, as the trainees call themselves, who received their Multimedia Journalist certificates at the ceremony.

The edualeños worked hard to earn their new qualification during the one-year program, which includes nine practical modules at the Fundación para el Periodismo (FPP). There, the trainees take an in-depth look at subjects such as data journalism, election reporting and political reporting.

"Edualeña" Susanna Maldonado Luna (2.f.r.) with Elena Ern, country manager for Bolivia, DW Akademie (2.f.l.) and relatives

In between modules, they gain valuable hands-on experience working in the editorial departments of major Bolivian media outlets and also receive ongoing support from course mentors.The traineeship is modeled on the German in-house journalism training programs ("Volontariat").

The Bolivian traineeship is a joint program developed by the FPP, the German development agency Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and DW Akademie, as part of the larger project, Pro Periodismo. It has political support from Bolivia's communications ministry.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Germany's ambassador to Bolivia, Peter Linder, pointed out that many of the topics covered in the training, such as intercultural issues and violence against women, are high on the priority list of Bolivia's government. For his part, FPP president Victor Toro said he hoped the program would help boost the quality of journalism standards in the region.

New approach

"Digital transformation doesn't give journalists the freedom to abandon journalism ethics," emphasized Ramiro Ramirez from Bolivia's communications ministry. "Ethics have to remain an essential part of the training program."

DW Akademie's country coordinator for Bolivia, Elena Ern, said journalism training has to be a step ahead of the media. "The media world is constantly changing and the curriculum has to reflect this," she said. "That’s why this multimedia program is innovative and looks to the future – so that aspiring journalists are well equipped to work in the digital age," Ern said.

The Pro Periodismo project is largely modeled on the journalism traineeships offered by public broadcasters in Germany. This includes Deutsche Welle, whose own traineeship program began in 1964.

Further information on Bolivia’s new dual journalism training program is available here.