Yesterday, I started the day by writing my first blog entry, only interrupted by the teleconference taking place in the KDC. The telephone-speaker-thingy was placed in the middle of the table and about 6 journalists from all important Filipino newspapers sat crouched around it, scribbling notes on small pads and recording the session on tape. It was just as I had imagined! The teleconference was managed by a moderator who asked the journalists from China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines to pose questions on the impact of the financial crisis on developing countries. Beforehand, the World Bank had promised to boost support for these countries in a press release (http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21973077~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html) . I actually understood something (!!) but at times it was hard because the connection wasn’t very good. It’ll be veery interesting for me to read today’s articles and see what the journalists have made of it… And I’ll feel good because I already know things, the public only hears today! :) It really is “seeing behind the curtain”…
In the afternoon I learnt how to do media monitoring which is (explanation for my German friends: ) scanning all online newspapers for information concerning the World Bank or, in my case, the financial crisis. You have to choose the articles, copy them into a document, add the source, title and author and send it to all staff members for them to be informed. Kitchie asked me to help her with the media monitoring of the financial crisis because it’s becoming so much. I get to try scanning the Manila Times, Manila Bulletin and Sunstar, so if you find irrelevant articles in your “Today’s News E-Mail” in the next days… It’s my fault, not hers! :)