The Culture and Education Program - Media Lab

Hey folks,

Since it started snowing in Innsbruck today, I thought I'd share the overall excitement (after all, now with the snow covering the streets, it feels like games time is approaching) with a new blog entry. Today, I will start with the promised series on the various Culture and Education activities. The first part will be dedicated to the Media lab.

When I was a kid, my grandmother always used to say that, in order to understand other people, you should "walk in their shoes for a mile". Well, of course she did not say that, being given the fact that we spoke German, however, you get the point. This approach is also reflected in the Innsbruck 2012 CEP. Starting at a very young age, athletes are exposed to a lot of media attention. I don't know if you have ever been asked to give an interview, however, you will soon notice that it takes a lot of practice to speak in front of a camera. After all, you have only a minute (sometimes even less) to bring your message across. Furthermore, even in light of a defeat, you want to give a professional response and analysis - rather than some moody rant about whatnot.

So in order to teach athletes how to talk in front of a camera. the CEP puts them behind one! By taking the role of a journalist, athletes learn how stories are developed and brought to life with a camera. They can hence discover methods of how to be a shiny part in that very story. I like that approach very much, because I believe that understanding the journalist's job also gives you a better idea of your job as an interview partner.

Apart from the improved media skills, the project will also be loads of fun. Being an avid photographer myself, I just love the creative outlet my camera gives me. Who knows - maybe the YOG Olympians will discover a new hobby and also become great photographers! The content they will produce will be shared on the various media channels, adding the participant's very own YOG perspective. Being taught how to express themselves via photography, filming or web editing, they can share their personal stories during games time.

Another very important part of the media lab is Social Media Awareness. Personally, I am a huge fan of nifty networks like Facebook or Flickr, because they provide excellent tools for me to stay in touch with my friends (By now the guys are really scattered to the four winds). However, there is one very important aspect people do not always bear in mind: Whatever you put online, stays online! We all know the situation: You had a bad competition, you come home, you are tired and moody and you write a status update like "Today just sucked. The referee was bad and the team was letting me down." True, it might have some cathartic effect on your inner balance (Well, most likely not...). But do you really want to tell to the world how much you despise the referee for making a bad call or how lousy you think one of your team mates is doing? Believe me: You do not!

So with the Social Media Awareness "campaign", athletes can learn the sensitivity needed to deal with such issues. Because everybody enjoys updates from their friends or athletes they admire. On the other hand though, there is plenty of stuff that you do not want to put online. Because you never know how things that go around will eventually come around!

So much for the Media Lab. If you have any more questions regarding the program, feel free to use the comment function below.

So long,
Flo

Pictures 1 and 2 © Innsbruck 2012