Kernel Media Project
for the promotion of media skills
among young people
Edition 2019 and 2020
International Balloon Festival in Chateaux-d'Oex
Chateaux-d'Oex - Canton of Vaud - Switzerland
RadioBus – DGEO VD – MagTuner – Rotary Club Pays d’Enhaut
2019 and 2020 – International Balloon Festival in Château-d'Œx
Following the 2019 edition of the Festival Gazette, the Château-d’Œx College once again took charge of producing the gazette in 2020.
While the 2019 edition involved three schools, that year the College managed the production of the three daily publications entirely on its own.
The team, made up of students aged 11 to 14 who already had experience from the 2019 Balloon Festival and the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, was responsible for the production. Both the structure and content of the magazine were fully handled by the student teams, without any adult intervention.
A project carried out with RadioBus
This work around the Festival Gazette was part of a larger project conducted with RadioBus, a mobile studio set up on site. In parallel with producing the newspaper, the young participants also created live radio broadcasts.
They hosted segments, played music, and most importantly, conducted public interviews, including with political figures, festival organizers, and iconic guests such as composer and singer Henry Dès.
This dual approach—print press and radio—allowed them to explore different journalistic formats and develop a free, lively voice closely connected to the festival’s current events.
Observations by Thomas Zoller, who accompanied both editions
“I saw how serious, motivated, and committed the children can be when given clear tasks and real responsibility. They were very engaged with their environment, had an excellent knowledge of the festival and their community. It wasn’t the celebrity Bertrand Piccard who fascinated them, but Manu, the local announcer of Château-d’Œx—their true star.
Moreover, I was also impressed by how seriously the adults took the youth. Festival guests enthusiastically agreed to answer their questions and be photographed.
Some, like the ambassador of Kazakhstan, even left an official lunch early to participate in their newspaper. This showed how important this project was to the whole community.
On the last day, saying goodbye was very hard. What we experienced in three days went far beyond producing a newspaper: it was a true human adventure.”
This newspaper contains 6 pages
Édition spéciale en hommage
Although the editorial team produced enough texts and illustrations to fill 8 pages, they chose to publish only 6 pages as a tribute to Mr. Burri, the owner of the local printing press. For 40 years, he was the one who printed the Château-d’Œx newspaper. The inhabitants of this small village were used to reading on the front page: "This newspaper contains 6 pages."
Mr. Burri was already retired, but he insisted on personally printing the children’s gazette. Every morning during the festival, he came specially to his former workshop to carry out the printing. He shared that for years he had tried to motivate the school—which he could see from the window of his workshop—to produce content for his newspaper.
He admitted that, in the past, "unfortunately, we never succeeded in making this project happen."
Therefore, printing the children’s magazine held a special meaning for him. All the students agreed that Mr. Burri would be touched to see "This newspaper contains 6 pages" on the front page of the gazette.
Shahen Shah, a pro’s eye!
The 2019 Balloon Festival was marked by the presence of a talented young Afghan who wished to participate as a member of the gazette’s journalism team. Since his French skills—both spoken and written—were still beginner level due to his recent arrival in Switzerland, he offered his services as a photographer.
Thomas Zoller noted: “It didn’t take me long to realize how talented this boy was. As a photo editor for major Swiss newspapers, I’ve seen many good photographers, and seeing great photos had become routine. The quality of his images was so impressive that I found it hard to believe they were taken by a teenager. Most of his photos could have been published in professional press.”
« I was happy to be with my classmates and to take photos. » — Shahen Shah
31 jan - Collège Château-d'Œx
Science is in the air
Hans Peter Beck, a physicist at CERN, explained the connection between balloons and the discovery of cosmic rays. He participated in a commemorative flight that reproduced a 1909 experiment, which confirmed that radiation increases with altitude. The sensor, visible on the cover, was provided by CERN.
Favorite - Dan and his Little horse
“I’m small, but I hold the wind!”
Dan, a young journalist, surprised everyone with an original article: he tells the story of Petit Cheval, the festival’s little hot-air balloon, in the first person. This poetic and lively narrative charmed both readers and adults, showing that a newspaper can also be an imaginative adventure.
2019 - Collège Montreux-Est and Aigle
A major project
For the first edition in 2019, we welcomed students from Montreux-Est and Aigle secondary schools. It was a first for both them and us: none of the children had ever produced a newspaper before. The result was convincing and well received by the organizers.
Favorite - the portrait
Jobs… with heads in the air
The highlight was definitely the visit to the meteorological center, which is responsible for monitoring the conditions for balloon takeoff.The students also toured radar stations that track the progress of the race and ensure aerial safety throughout the competition, which concludes in Liguria.
