Media Helping Media

A handbook, written to help journalists working in exile, and produced by Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, is now available to download free of charge. The book is part of an effort to equip those who previously had no voice with the essential journalistic tools needed in order to ensure that their situation is made known to the wider world.

The author, TP Mishra is a Bhutanese refugee who has been working as a journalist in the refugee camps for several years. He was responsible for a number of media initiatives in the camps and for training fellow refugee journalists.

2,000 hard copies of the book were published and sold, but now Mishra wants the text to be available to all without charge.

The book comes in four parts. The first covers the basics of journalism and news, including writing tips and editorial ethics.

The second part focuses on the media inside Bhutan. Part three looks at the challenges of operating as a journalist in exile, and the final part includes personal experiences.

This site provided support for the production of the book, and the editor, David Brewer, wrote one of the opening chapters.

Working on the next project

Mishra is now writing an e-book designed to help refugees around the world set up and run media operations.

The book is intended to be a resource manual and is also based on his eight years experience living and working in the Bhutanese refugee camps.

He is currently living in the USA having moved there recently under the UNHCR resettlement programme, but he continues to work on behalf of media in exile on a voluntary basis.

Hard copies can still be ordered

Mishra says people can still buy the hard copies with the revenue generated going towards continued support for the Bhutanese media in exile.

If you want a hard copy you can order it through Pay Pal for US$25 from a link on the APFA website.

[important color=green title=David Brewer]The author of this piece, David Brewer, is a journalist and media strategy consultant who set up and runs this site, Media Helping Media. He delivers media strategy training and consultancy services worldwide and his business details are at Media Ideas International Ltd. He tweets @helpingmedia. [/important]