Urtė Vajavudzkaitė, a second-year student in the study program of Analytical Journalism, became the winner of the competition for the international project Responsible, Ethical and Sensitive Journalism on Trafficking in Human Beings (THALIA). At the final project activity in international journalism conference in Stockholm on December 7 Urte was given the opportunity to present her work on child trafficking in Lithuania.
In the project participated students of the Analytical Journalism study program of the Faculty of Communication in Vilnius University, led by Associate Professor dr. Andrius Gudauskas and partnership Associate Proffesor Giedrė Čiužaitė.
During the THALIA project, the Council of the Baltic Sea States organized seminars and a competition on human trafficking in the Member States, which were attended by more than 450 journalism students from Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Norway. For example, the Office of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Lithuania, in cooperation with Vytautas Magnus University and Vilnius University, organized a press conference for students majoring in journalism and communication. During the project, interactive activities were organized in the Baltic States, providing students with insights into the problem of trafficking in human beings and valuable advice from various professionals with experience in covering trafficking in human beings and related crimes.
The journalism students who took part in the international project created films, photo cycles, publications and radio shows on human trafficking. The best works represented their countries. Our students Roda Petrikaite with a radio story and Urte Vajavudzkaite with a video story also participated in the international journalism student competition. December 7 The Council of the Baltic Sea States' Working Party on Trafficking in Human Beings, in cooperation with Södertörn University in Stockholm, is organizing a teleconference on the role of the media in raising awareness of trafficking in human beings. More information about the conference.
The student of the Faculty of Communication U. Vajavudzkaite together with other winners from Ukraine and Estonia will participate and present her work in the third session of the conference (Cooperation with Academic Communities - Baltic Sea Region Journalism Students and Teachers as Key Actors in the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings). Program of the conference HERE.
The conference is based on the international project THALIA, which examines the role of the media and journalism in shaping public awareness of human trafficking. One of the main goals of the THALIA project is to increase the competence, awareness and preparation of future journalists on the topic of human trafficking in cooperation with Baltic Sea Region journalism students and teachers.
Topical issues of human trafficking will be discussed during the forthcoming conference:
- What is the role of the media in shaping a common understanding of trafficking as a crime and a phenomenon?
- What forms of human trafficking and exploitation do the media cover in our region and beyond?
- How to avoid stereotypical messages on this topic?
- How can public authorities and non-governmental organizations work with the media to further raise awareness in order to prevent human trafficking?
- What steps can universities take to give future journalists more knowledge about human trafficking?
The THALIA project is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Lithuania.
Our students' works here: