The workshop of the representatives of the Archive departments of 6 Public Service Media in Western Balkans began today, September 11, in Hotel Bristol, Sarajevo.

Public Service Media has been the keeper of an important part of today's national treasure and heritage, holding sound and moving images of decades of national and international history and culture.
Preserving those valuable and important part of national heritage is a significant but very expensive and demanding task of all PSM Archives. The improvement of accessibility via digitization and online platforms should facilitate and increase the use and exchange of those treasures.
The workshop that lasts for two days is focused on discussing and deciding upon such an exchange platform for all Western Balkans PSM archives, giving all future users an improved and reliable access-point to the most important parts of archive from the Public Service Media of their country and their neighbours. "Easy access to archive-content is also one of the necessary prerequisites for professional and independent journalism by PSMs", says Christoph Bauer, Senior Project Manager of Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF in charge for national and international projects in the archive-related domain.

The workshop is a part of the activities implemented within the Programme of Assistance to Public Service Media in the Western Balkans, which aims to contribute to the media reform and professional development of PSM in the region and strengthen their ability to produce increasingly pluralistic, independent and accountable content. The beneficiaries of the project are the six Public Service Media in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The project is implemented in the period from February 1, 2018 to July 31, 2020. The Service Contract of the European Commission has been awarded to the consortium led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the Austrian Boradcasting Corporation (ORF), the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and the Eurovision News Exchange for South-East Europe (ERNO).

For additional information please contact:

Dr Željka-Lekić-Subašić
Head of ERNO Coordination Office
Senior Media Expert/Deputy Team Leader
Assistance to Public Service Media in the Western Balkans
E-mail: Zeljka.Lekic-Subasic@PSMWB.com
Cell phone: +38761216799
Office phone: +38733461526