A "digital journalism" program will appear in Ukraine for the first time ever.
Quite hard to imagine but ordinary media will disappear soon. Experts argue they will turn into a common information room where each person can "soar" as he might wish choosing what to watch, read, and listen?
 
IBM expects these changes to take place in five years by 2012. But is Ukraine ready for them? And where can we find journalists that will meet demands of their time?
 
Journalists of future?
 
Organizers of Digital Future Journalism project assure that the first step has been made. Now Ukraine has a program for education of specialists that can meet demands of developing media market. They will be trained by Kyiv-Mohyla Journalism School supported by Foundation for the Development of Ukraine, which initiated the project.
 
"Journalism is growing rapidly today. Development is simply frantic", said Anatoliy Zabolotny, Director of the Foundation, to Intermedia Consulting (IMC). "That’s why there is a lack of professionals. Most schools training journalists just don’t keep pace with media needs, can’t respond to demands of their time, and offer outdated approaches. So, we decided to establish an institution that can tackle the problem".
 
As Mr Zabolotny stated, most media experts speak about global changes expected to take place soon. In particular, they mean integration of media market resulting in combination of TV, radio, and other media in integrated holdings operating on common platform. "Everybody speaks about convergence, digital technologies, creation of news rooms for various media", ? he says. "And everybody needs professionals". 
 
Universal journalists
Representatives of Kyiv-Mohyla Journalism School insist they will train such type of specialists. "Three objectives are at the core of education", - explains program director Evgeniy Fedchenko. "First, to train journalists how to develop a high-quality content. Second, to take into account interests of difference target audiences. Third, to apply digital technologies that will link the first and the second elements".
The major project goal, he says, is to teach people how to develop one material for various platforms, since this will be paramount soon. «Say, you go to an event», - he says. "And you need to develop a material for Internet, a newspaper, TV, and radio. Certainly, they need to be four different articles. However only one person will do this in future ? you!"
 
Problems and Solutions
Good news: education in the program will be free of charge. Bad news: it will be quite hard to get selected to attend the program. According to organizers, all interested people can sign up for education even today but will have to pass a tough selection afterwards. Professional qualities, aptitude for education and languages will be checked. The latter is of especial importance, as the school intends to make Ukrainian and English "working" languages. President of NaUKMA Sergey Kvit, says this is necessary while many English-speaking teachers will be invited to the project. "We’ll try in this way", - he said to IMC. "Face-to-face communication is, as you understand, more preferable. If it doesn’t work, we’ll have to invite an interpreter".
 
There’s another "but". Organizers scheduled "on the job" training for 10 months yet students will have to find a free week per month. Certainly this is quite hard without approval of management. So, having got interested, you need to make your editors interested as well. Trying to understand whether it is possible, we approached Aleksandr Martynenko, a member of Supervisory Board of the program and CEO of Intefax-Ukraine News Agency. The question about potential "off-the-job" studying of journalists employed by the agency surprised him. "To let them go for a week per month? Mmm? I’ll think it through and hope make decision eventually", he promised.
 
But it is worth trying
Regardless problems of getting enrolled, organisers believe it is worth while trying, since possible return will be huge. Kyiv-Mohyla university, in particular, doesn’t doubt that our journalists can achieve success in other counties too. "Our goal is to train professional for Ukrainian market only", admits Sergey Kvit. "Yet I am sure our graduates will be able to work in Canada or the USA if they want to. First, Kyiv-Mohyla academy is well-known abroad. Second, this is not about a university or certificate, but about the person. For example, Americans are very practical. If a candidate for a position proves that he is an actual specialist, they will certainly offer him a job".
 
But organizers are confident it won’t be necessary to leave soon. Ukrainian media room will not differ much from western ones in a couple of years, while Ukrainian media market will become a part of global media market. Particularly Guillermo Schmitt, CEO of Syegodnya Publishing House and a member of Supervisory Board of the program, said it with confidence that the project launch will simply speed up the process.

Intermedia Consulting
By Vlada Vishnevskaya, Kiev
6 September, 2007