MARS - Media Against Racism in Sport

06 - 09 July 2012, Berlin (Germany)


Last July, a new group of 30 journalists living in Germany looked for inclusive and intercultural ways of producing media content.

More information about the encounter
Outputs
VERGITTERTER KUNSTRASENSTATT FREIE ASCHEBAHN � �BER DEN WANDEL DES POSTSTADIONS IN BERLIN MOABIT
HENKE Christiane (RBB - Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg) & Stefan TENNER (CMFE - Community Media Forum Europe)
As a working pair we were different in sex and age. Our professional background was on the one side quite similar as we both work for the radio and on the other hand quite different as we work for mainstream media and community media. Also our technical knowledge differed a lot, so that Stefan did all the technical things. At first we had quite different ideas about what to do but agreed very fast to go out to an old sports field and ask the residents what they feel about the change that had taken place there. Our aim was to find out whether people who are not young and trained and healthy and who have no money and no sports dresses are in some way excluded from sports by the changes which had taken place in the area We just went out there with our microphones and we didn�t know what would happen, whom we would meet. We both found the working process inspiring and creative and learnt a lot from each other. We had some new ideas about exclusion and inclusion from and in public sports and we will be going to think on that in the future.
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FRAUEN AM BALL - A STORY OF WOMEN, FOOTBALL AND THE COURSE OF LIFE
Tobias GL�SING (European Youth Press) & Petra L�BER
�Frauen am Ball - A story of women, football and the course of life� is a short film about young women. Building a team by developing their own specific new strategies in dealing with sexist discrimination. Since it is not a common sense yet everywhere, they play a key role in establishing new standards of publicity. Playing in public, means even to take more risks in being criticised. But all critics doesn't really matter to them: they have come to the point that not the result matters but that you, yourself, risk to take your chance, where ever you can find it... Just do it! Our work has been very open. As we are from different generations and countries (South Africa & Germany), we could perfectly combine our skills to an identity and work together on a very friendly and familiar but very professional and corporative way. We started telling each other about our lives and experiences with journalism as well as with racism. We had a great time eating and sitting under the same tree in Berlin-Kreuzberg watching the swans in the rain while our camera could not be used. We will definitely continue our cooperation and are seeing forward for new challenges.
BALOTELLI: MEDIA RACISM OR COLONIAL STEREOTYPES? THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA AND RACISM IN SPORTS
Terry MUVANYA (Deutsche Welle), Michael K�PPERS-ADEBISI (AFROTAKT TV) & Alice AUSTERLITZ (ORF)
Video Report - We are highlighting the historical and colonial background of racism and the way it is portrayed in German mainstream media today. In how far is today�s imagery and other content production based on the not re-worked times of German colonialism. As sources we used analysis of mainstream publications in different media, we did google keyword searches, applied academic research and books on postcolonial studies, critical whiteness, group as well as internal group discussion and contemporary theories on gender perspectives and inclusion perspectives. For us it is important to give balanced report by showing both sides of the coin, we see a strong necessity for employment diversity to make sure the perspective of those to be included really do have their perspective included and for that journalists have to be sensitized as overall means from a migrant perspective. Our position: We find it very necessary to make it a personal responsibility to work out inclusive perspectives as part of being part of democratic societies.

Audio report - MARS seminar in Berlin - A four-day seminar organized by a European Network, Media against Racism in Sport, MARS came to a closure today in Berlin. Speaking at the venue the manager of the Network MARS, council of Europe Mr. Reynald Blion emphasized the important role played by the Media in creating multicultural understanding. The Participants were Journalists drawn mainly from the European Union. Terry Muvanya a Radio Deutschwelle News Correspondent based in Berlin filed a Satirical Commentary, call it Cutting Edge looking at the way non White Sportsmen and women are portrayed by the German media and the long term effects of such a style of Journalism..
Listen to the audio report: EN | DE
NATIONALISM OR EUROPEAN PRIDE
Larry FERGESON, CCMC (Cyprus Community Media Centre), Diamantis MASTROGIANNAKIS, Universit� de Lille & Murat T�REMIS
Does the display of national flags and the singing of national anthems at European level football events serve to promote nationalism? Does it counter the idea of a common European identity? Or does the displaying of such symbols help install pride and add to the appreciation of diversity within the EU? This short video piece shows contrasting images of how people use these symbols for positive and negative purposes. Also, the producers went to a public place to interview different people in order to document the different perspectives on this issue.
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FOOTBALL AS MEANS OF FEMALE INTEGRATION
Pamela MORINIERE EFJ (European / International Federation of Journalists), Patrick VERNIERS (Media Animation) & Anna FRENYO
This report addresses the role football plays in empowering women and promoting diversity in German society. Starting from a general description of German female football, this radio report looks into sports media coverage and at the recent IFAB decision on the headscarf and its implications for women. With the contribution of a sport journalist, a captain of a female football team and a Turkish female football player.
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COLLAGE AUSGRENZUNG
Adetoun K�PPERS-ADEBISI (AFROTAKT TV), Thomas KUMBERNU� (Radio Blau) & Michael NICOLAI (Radio Corax)
We came together as a Team the first time at the 14th floor of the RBB-Building on Saturday. We are Media activists working for Radio and Online Television. Our topic is to figure out how far sanctions can be an option to fight racism and discrimination. The method we choose was the result of the podium discussion that took place in the conference room of RBB on Friday to get answers. Interviewing different people that are in the working field and in focus of racism and discrimination. The interview partners we decided on: Project manager Red Star Leipzig, Project manager Fan Project Berlin, Social Worker and Youth Coach, NGO President Clear Blue Water and Migrant Youth Basketball Coach. Our Motto is that Racism and Discrimination are against Human Right.
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I WANT TO SWIM TOPLESS
Robert CHRISTIANSEN (Radio Corax), Jens STEINER (Pi Radio) & J�rg WIESERNER (Olympia-Verlag GmbH)
The issue of the radio feature is to introduce problems of transgender youth in sports. During the phase of research we have interviewed two teenagers in Berlin, facing conflicts of social and biological issues of sexuality. We have talked about their interests and enthusiasm for sport activities and resulting confrontations. As an expert on gender issues and teenagers we have talked with a street worker and social educator and referred to the organizer of an event called queer guerrilla swim. We have done research on the topic transgender in sports in general. Our goal was to give a short introduction into a complex and strongly neglected issue. Our group consisted of three males with different journalistic backgrounds. Two of us are grassroots radio journalists with a focus on sports and culture: Robert Christiansen and Jens Steiner, the third one, J�rg Wieserner, is a professional editor of a mainstream online journal on sports.
Listen to the audio report
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AND GRASS-ROOTS - ROLE MODEL STATUS, EVERYDAY LIFE, STEREOTYPES AND CHANCES
Markus PINTER (FairPlay / VIDC) & Denis HOHENBERGER (Radio Z)
Coming from different fields of work � a voluntary sports journalist and an anti-racism campaigner � we both liked the idea to go out in the Berlin parks to speak with people playing football. We wanted to know how the interaction and the building of teams are going on, to get an impression of the stereotypes they have and express. Due to the rainy first day reserved for the production we were not able to find people playing football in the parks we went to. But while walking around in rainy Berlin for more than four hours we had a lot of time to learn from each other. And we had the idea to compare what Ms Keskinler and Mr. Thiam said in the panel discussion on the first day oft he MARS encounter on the role model status of professional football players and the everyday life. As we had no material we divided the tasks: Denis Hohenberger went to a Sport park to collect interviews, Markus Pinter had to get familiar with the audio cutting software and prepared the quotes from the panel discussion. Also the voice over for the audio broadcast was recorded by Denis while Markus cut the quotes and compiled the audio files.
Listen to the audio report
NATIONAL-FU�BALL MULTIKULTURELL?
Jens FROHBURG (Chronik.LE), Anne HARTMETZ (Pi Radio) & Louis LAPEYRONNIE
German soccer team is used by the medias as an example of successful multiculturalism. The same situation happened in France in 1998. Today, with the defeat of the team the same example is used by the right wing radicals to critic multiculturalism. So why is this concept � multiculturalism � used to explain success or failure of national teams. And how and why do media reports reproduce stereotypes, be it in a positive or negative way? According to sociologist Michel Wieviorka, medias are too fast to create a link between society and football and don�t talk enough about the game. Medias and politics use football to project their ideology.
Listen to the audio report
Bonus
TV broadcast about the opening event
Alex TV Berlin
Watch the video