Tirana student newspaper goes nationwide with support from OSCE Presence in Albania
Anisa, though, has a head start - she's already had four stories published in one of Albania's most respected national newspapers.
Anisa is one of 40 third-year journalism students at the University. The Department of Journalism publishes its own fortnightly newspaper, Reporteri, where the students have a chance to see their stories in print.
But thanks to financial support from the OSCE Presence in Albania, Reporteri is now more than just another student newspaper. Since March this year, it has been published as a fortnightly supplement to the Saturday edition of the popular national daily Korrieri.
Supporting practical initiatives
"Reporteri is at the moment the only outlet for the students of the journalism school," says Pascale Roussy, Head of the OSCE Presence's Human Dimension Department. "We have chosen to support this initiative as it is a unique opportunity for students to practice their skills and start working as professionals in the media market."
Elton Metaj, the Editor-in-Chief of Korrieri, points out that his paper has a slightly higher circulation on Saturdays when it comes out with Reporteri. "It's hard to say whether the increase is due to the insert or whether it's just because it's the weekend when people read more, but I'd like to think that it's because of Reporteri," he says.
"Working on Reporteri is a great chance for us to put into practice everything that we have learned in our first two years," adds student Suadela Balliu.
With a much wider circulation (7,000 copies) than previously, Reporteri has also changed its look and content to better meet the growing needs of Albania's competitive media market.
Awareness-raising tool
"The students can choose whatever story ideas they want for the next edition, which means that Reporteri is not just a platform where they can practice their skills, it's also a tool for them to raise awareness about certain social problems," says the paper's editor Zylyftar Bregu, who teaches in the Department.
The role of the teachers is outlined by the Head of the Department, Bashkim Gjergji. "They are not there to decide on the content of Reporteri, but to ensure that the stories meet the professional standards which they teach.
"One student wrote a story about corruption which was not accepted for publication, but only because the claims of both sides involved were not presented in a balanced manner. The majority of students write very responsibly now that their stories are read throughout the country."
Reporteri has come a long way since the first issue was published in 1993. Back then, it was a modest in-house platform for students to try their hand as first-time journalists. The Dutch organization Press Now and the US Embassy in Tirana both provided funding, but it was limited and the paper had an on/off existence.
Addressing essential needs
The move to bring Reporteri to a wider audience is just part of a larger project developed by the Presence in Albania aimed at addressing the essential needs of the Department and helping it improve the curriculum. As a result of recommendations drawn up by the OSCE, a long-term strategy has been developed, the ultimate goal of which is to achieve international accreditation for the Department.
But for students like Anisa, the benefits of working on the paper and having their stories published nationwide are immediate and practical.
"By developing my skills on Reporteri, I'll be better prepared to find a job when I finish my studies," she says. "With the media market getting more and more competitive each day, you need to be really skilful to make a difference in this profession rather than just doing a job."