When Danish journalist Roy Juma received the NewsSpectrum Fellowship, his plan was to cover the municipal elections in the city of Odense, the third-largest city in Denmark, and to cover it from Vollsmose – one of the largest ghettos in the country and where he grew up himself.
Together with a team from the Danish national broadcaster Danmarks Radio, Roy set out to interview residents of Vollsmose, mostly immigrants, about the upcoming elections and their daily concerns and challenges and produce series of portraits of people living in the neighbourhood. However, lack of trust in media, resentfulness, and suspicion towards journalists were significant challenges.
Nevertheless, as part of his NewsSpectrum Fellowship with Danmarks Radio, Roy managed to establish contacts and built connections in the community. He and his colleagues produced several news clips and a radio package in the weeks leading up to the election, and Roy gained new skills through working at the Danish public broadcaster.