Kernel Media Project
promoting media literacy among
young people
The Hive Takes Shape
behind the Scenes
Vox POP: The 100% Youth Newsroom Comes Together
Seven young people aged 10 to 14. One Wednesday each week. A real newsroom. A real newspaper.
The Idea
What if, instead of talking about young people, we gave them a voice?
That is the idea behind Vox POP: entrusting young people with real responsibilities, providing them with the right tools, letting them create—and publishing the result in a real newspaper read by real readers.
The project was born from an idea by Sonia Biétry and Thomas Zoller. Welcomed with enthusiasm by Olivier Campiche, publisher of Le Courrier Lavaux-Oron-Jorat, the initiative became a reality thanks to his support and with the backing of the Canton of Vaud through its local media support programme.
Its mission: to engage young people in the Canton of Vaud with local news by involving them directly in its production.
Wednesdays Begin Around the Table
Every Wednesday starts with a shared meal before the 1 p.m. editorial session. A small detail that is anything but insignificant. Around this table, friendships were built, personalities emerged, and everyone's individual strengths gradually revealed themselves. The group quickly became a close-knit team.
Mathieu's Famous
Strawberry Cake
From the very first session, Mathieu brought what would soon become a tradition: a strawberry cake.
And what a cake! It was so delicious that it quickly became a newsroom classic, almost as eagerly anticipated as the editorial meetings themselves.
Even on Thomas's birthday, this calorie-packed masterpiece managed to steal part of the spotlight. Thank you, Mathieu—and thank you, Sonia, for bringing the candles!
How Our Newsroom Works
The Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chief are elected by the team through a vote. The other roles—Managing Editor, Art Director, Proofreader, Content Editor, and Columnist—are assigned either at the participant's request or by appointment of the Editor-in-Chief.
One Newsroom, Seven Young Journalists, Seven Roles
Every Wednesday afternoon, our seven aspiring journalists, aged 10 to 14, gather in the newsroom of Le Courrier Lavaux-Oron-Jorat in Forel.
Within the newsroom, responsibilities are shared according to each participant's interests, talents and motivation. There is, of course, a hierarchy, but as Thomas likes to say, it is "more circular than vertical."
Meet Our Team
Célia (14) — Editor-in-Chief
Alix (10) — Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Zosia (12) — Content Editor
Donovan (11) — Managing Editor
Mathieu (11) — Art Director
Jules (13) — Proofreader & Writer
Esther (12) — Columnist
Producing Vox POP
Our young journalists write their own articles, take photographs, conduct interviews in the field and assemble their pages before they are sent to print.
A genuine journalistic workflow
All writing and page layout are carried out using MagTuner. The platform centralises articles, photographs and editorial resources while providing remote access for every member of the newsroom.
Content can be shared, archived and reused for future editions. In our newsroom, we call this collaborative space "the fridge." And, like any good fridge, it quickly filled up with valuable material.
The challenge now is to make the most of these resources before they lose their news value.
Final Review, Proofreading and Approval
Once the pages have been assembled in MagTuner, one of the most important stages of the editorial process begins: proofreading.
The Art Director validates the visual choices and the quality of the images, while the Managing Editor reviews the articles, headlines, subheadings, photo captions and the overall consistency of the newspaper.
At this stage, the editorial team of Le Courrier takes over and carefully reviews the entire issue. Spelling, typography, layout and editorial consistency are checked in detail before the final corrections are incorporated and the PDF is generated.
Attention to detail
Every article is carefully proofread and meticulously corrected. Perfection? Not quite
As Arvid likes to say, the few remaining mistakes are part of the game—they remind us that these articles were written by young people, not by a machine.
So we humbly accept our imperfections… and aim to do even better next time.
Once approved by the Le Courrier editorial team, the issue receives its final validation from Editor-in-Chief Célia before being sent to print.
A few days later, the newspaper reaches more than 26,000 subscribers across the region.
Debriefing and Critical Reflection
The adventure doesn't end when the newspaper is published.
Once each issue has been released, the team meets to analyse its work and identify ways to improve future editions.
This debriefing is an essential part of the learning process.
Successes are celebrated, but challenges and mistakes are discussed just as openly.
With honesty, respect and kindness, everyone is encouraged to take a critical look at both their own work and that of the team.
It can sometimes be demanding, but it is always rewarding.
From one edition to the next, the newsroom continues to improve while developing one of the most important qualities of journalism: the ability to question one's own work.
Observation : "as if the answer was already inside them"
Looking back after several months of working together, one observation stands out: this organisation felt right from the very beginning. Each participant naturally found their place within the group while developing their own skills.
"What strikes me most," Thomas explains, "is how aware each participant is of their own strengths, limitations and interests. Young people often know much better than we imagine what they enjoy doing and how they can contribute to a team."
The experience has also shown that a clear framework, well-defined responsibilities and honest communication make it much easier for everyone to find their place.
A lesson that applies not only to young people. Perhaps they are simply more open to this kind of exercise and less constrained by prejudice or social expectations.
A valuable source of inspiration for us adults.
Our Young Journalists in Action
Final Session Before Delivering the PDF of Vox POP No. 1
Editor-in-Chief Célia and her deputy Alix join a video conference with Donovan, the Managing Editor, who is taking part in a language exchange programme in German-speaking Switzerland.
Together, they review the final changes and discuss the editorial decisions needed to complete the first edition.
Meanwhile, the rest of the newsroom adds the finishing touches to their articles while Jules, our proofreader, carefully reviews every text before publication.
On screen, the editorial platform MagTuner enables the team to monitor the progress of each article, coordinate corrections and prepare the newspaper layout.
The result reflects the seriousness, commitment and professionalism demonstrated by our young journalists throughout the entire editorial process.
A Key Moment in the Project's Development
The direct involvement of Arvid Ellefsplass, Editor-in-Chief of Le Courrier Lavaux-Oron-Jorat, with the entire newsroom marked an important milestone for the project.
This exchange helped anchor the newspaper in its local community while defining its editorial tone from the very beginning.
The outcome of this meeting impressed Arvid Ellefsplass so much that, in his editorial published on 21 May 2026 in Le Courrier Lavaux-Oron-Jorat, he described the experience as "stunning."
Discover Vox POP
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The collaboration with Le Courrier Lavaux
Vox Pop is published once a month as an insert in Le Courrier Lavaux-Oron-Jorat, the district’s newspaper for the past 76 years.
This collaboration anchors the project in a concrete editorial reality: the young people know that they will be read, which creates — according to Thomas Zoller — “an additional positive tension.”
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Contact
Kernel Media Project
Non-profit organization
Avenue William Fraisse 10
1006 Lausanne, Switzerland
+41 (0)76 341 02 34
