HBS AND UNESCO TO PARTNER ON BROADCAST TRAINING TO BUILD FUTURE
HBS’ Broadcast Academy partners with UNESCO to deliver training to the sports broadcasting industry.
Mindful of its social responsibilities as one of the two global multi-sport host broadcasters in the world, HBS is to step up and help broadcast professionals achieve the highest quality and international standards of coverage, and face emerging challenges confronting the industry, through a series of new training activities.
This belief has led the Broadcast Academy to work with the Communication and Information Sector of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), who are promoting comprehensive frameworks for media organisations to analyse their content and operations, and to address the attitudes, behaviours and practices that are obstacles to fair and balanced broadcasting.
The two organisations have decided to cooperate and to focus their attention on key topics for sports broadcasting, including gender equality, media response to crisis and disaster (especially focusing on the coverage of terrorism and terror attacks), and the 2018 celebration of World Radio Day under the theme of “Radio and Sports”.
In line with UNESCO’s vision to achieve full gender equality in the media by 2030, HBS Broadcast Academy will adopt UNESCO’s Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) for its courses. Broadcast professionals will be provided with the skills required to avoid potentially biased situations.
As many countries around the world suffer from terrorist attacks, sporting events unfortunately continue to be potential targets. It is imperative that professionals working in the sports industry understand the risks and challenges, and have consistent and measured responses to these attacks, rather than instinctively broadcast raw, uninformed footage.
Mirta Lourenco, Chief of the Section for Media Development and Society at UNESCO, said: “Sport is a powerful force for dialogue across borders and between communities. Billions of people around the world experience the thrill of sport through the media, and these new training activities with HBS, a global leader in sports broadcasting, will help ensure professional coverage, even under critical circumstances.”
Lise Cosimi, Director of the HBS Broadcast Academy, said: “After 25 years in the sports broadcast industry, this is the first time that courses like these will be made available. UNESCO is an ideal collaborator to help bring awareness and change in the sporting environment.”
The Broadcast Academy is honoured to be associated with such a prestigious organisation as UNESCO, and hopes to contribute to bringing about reflection within the broadcast industry.
About HBS’ Broadcast Academy
HBS, Host Broadcaster of FIFA World CupsTM since 1999 and many other international sporting events, launched in 2007 its Broadcast Academy, an organisation fully devoted to training TV professionals. Drawing on HBS’ 17 years of experience and technical know-how working on sporting world-class events, the Broadcast Academy designed a new and innovative training concept which comprises both classroom-based theoretical courses and practical courses with a goal to leave a lasting legacy.
More than 10,000 people have been trained in over 20 different countries by the Broadcast Academy.
About UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations agency responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It strengthens the ties between nations and societies, and mobilises the wider public so that everyone has access to quality education, may grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue, and can enjoy full freedom of expression, the basis of democracy, development and human dignity.
UNESCO’s messages are of increasing importance today, in a globalised world where interconnections and diversity must serve as opportunities to build peace in the minds of men and women.
For more information please visit: http://en.unesco.org/
If you are interested in the UNESCO/HBS Broadcast Academy courses, please consult this page.
