Available for Comment on Kosovo: Michael Kott, Expert on Media's Role in Promoting Peace in Kosovo

Available for Comment on Kosovo: Michael Kott, Expert on Media's Role in Promoting Peace in Kosovo

- Inclusive Reporting Project Creates 'Safe Space' for Communities to Share

                                 Concerns -    BACKGROUND:     -- Kosovo is a rigidly divided society where little interaction takes        place between Albanians and Serbs.     -- Communication between Albanians and Serbs is essential during this        time period of considering UN Special Envoy's Kosovo status proposal        and in the long term for building peace.     -- Media exacerbated conflict in 2004 by inaccurately reporting stories.    KOSOVO TEAM REPORTING INITIATIVE:     -- AED is working with mixed Albanian and Serbian reporting teams in        Kosovo to produce the first joint television programming aimed at        both Albanian and Serbian communities.     -- The programs have offered each community the first glimpse of the        other's views.  In interviews with average people, the programs cover        subjects ranging from unemployment and education to, more recently,        the status proposal.    RESULTS TO DATE:     -- Preliminary evaluations indicate a change in attitude among the        participating journalists and television stations. Many now see the        media as playing a role in  fostering mutual understanding.     -- Feedback from Albanian and Serb viewers about the Kosovo Team        Reporting TV program is positive:  91% reported some increased        interest in communicating or interacting more often with the other        community, and 86% reported being more aware about the other        community's perspectives on social issues.    WHO:     -- Michael Kott, vice president and director of the AED Center on Civil        Society and Governance, oversees the Kosovo Team Reporting Initiative        and can comment on life in Kosovo and the media's role in promoting        communication and interaction.   

AED is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to improving health, education, and economic opportunities for the least advantaged in the United States and developing countries throughout the world.

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PRNewswire-USNewswire -- May 25

Source: Academy for Educational Development

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Profile: International Entertainment