KRALENDIJK – The team of ABC Online Media, responsible for news media such as Bonaire.nu, Curaçao.nu, and The BES Reporter.com, completed a two-day training session this weekend as part of a professionalization program offered by the Dutch Journalism Stimulation Fund (SVDJ).

The two-day training session held on Bonaire is the highlight of an almost 12-month coaching program for private local media, provided and subsidized by SVDJ.

Notably, the ABC Online Media team is the only team outside of European Netherlands participating in the program.

“When I heard about this opportunity, I was immediately enthusiastic,” says ABC Online Media director Sylvia de Leon. “I didn’t know in advance if we, as a company in Caribbean Netherlands, would qualify, but I took the plunge and achieved a positive result.”

Coach

Under the guidance of coach Devid Ilievski, the ABC Online Media team has worked over the past few months on various tasks, including developing an editorial statute, new initiatives, setting up reader focus groups, and further improving the quality of their news sites. Additionally, various theoretical insights are shared about what benefits journalism in local markets.

Enthusiastic

Ilievski, who flew to Bonaire specifically for the physical training session, is also very enthusiastic about the results achieved so far. “I found it exciting and very worthwhile. The ABC Online Media team already has a lot in place and is very motivated and driven. I am pleased to be able to contribute to that,” says Ilievski.