May 18, 2015
Singapore – To support Vietnamese citizen journalists, Article 19, Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Viet Tan have localized the StoryMaker mobile app and trained the first cohort of 20 Vietnamese netizens on its use. In a launch event held in Singapore from May 15-17, Vietnamese attendees received training on reporting, video production, and editing with StoryMaker.
StoryMaker is an open source app that enables existing and aspiring journalists to produce and publish professional-grade news with their Android phone, as safely and securely as possible. Previously available in 13 languages, the newly available Vietnamese version offers a much needed citizen journalism tool for Vietnam’s 40 million and growing internet community.
According to blogger Dung Mai, who attended the launch event: “StoryMaker provides citizen journalists a powerful platform to spread the truth, to report on the challenges of Vietnamese victims of corruption and to provide a picture of today’s Vietnam.”
Another attendee from Vietnam, independent journalist Vo Van Tao noted: “With only an Android phone and a few simple commands, anyone can get their story out to the public. What can be more free, more satisfying? StoryMaker is a great assistant.”
The three day program featured trainers from RFA Vietnamese service, Saigon Broadcasting Television Network (SBTN), and Viet Tan. The program concluded with a roundtable between attendees and international human rights NGOs who discussed the challenges of Vietnam’s media environment and ideas for protecting free expression.
The organizers plan to continue publicizing the StoryMaker app for the Vietnamese online community so people can be empowered to share their stories.
Contact:
Angelina Huynh, angelina@viettan.org
Judy Taing, judy@article19.org
###
