Bio

So who’s that guy, Ido Liven?
Well, to begin with, I would say I’m the guy for you. Somehow, I’m always busy engaged in different assignments and projects but at the same time eager to claim I’m available for more (I am. Really!). I have an abstruse passion for thorough investigation and research, with particular interest and expertise in online information mining, though I never actually bothered exploring the reasons for this tendency.

More than words: Writing
Since 2005 I’ve been freelance writing for a variety of Israeli newspapers, magazines and websites:
* ynet [H] / ynetnews [E]
* Ha’aretz [H]
* NRG [H]
* Nana10 [H]
* HaIr
* Achbar HaIr [H]
* The Seventh Eye [H]
* Tzomet HaSharon
* Makor Rishon [H]
* Masa Acher [H]
* HaSviva [H]
*Yedioth Ahronoth [H]

In addition, stories of mine have appeared in publications around the world:
* Die Welt
* Welt Online [D]
* Berliner Morgenpost [D]
* sueddeutsche.de [D]
* Sudwind [D]
* Toronto Star [E]
* Inter Press Service news agency
* swissinfo [E]
* Mongabay [E]

As for education, I’ve graduated (with honors) from the Open University of Israel and Koteret School for Journalism and Communications in Tel Aviv [H]. Nowadays, I’m pursuing a masters degree at University of Amsterdam after a year at Aarhus University and the Danish School of Journalism. And if that counts, I also used to study Spanish at the American Alliance Institute for a short while, German at Goethe Institut and Danish at LaerDansk. Though, my working languages are English and Hebrew.

 

Meet the press: Vocational trainings participation
* Trialogue of Cultures scholarship [D] – Germany, August-December 2007 (including an 11-weeks-long editorial fellowship at the Die Welt newsroom in Berlin).
* M100 Youth Media Workshop [E /D] – Potsdam, September 2007
* EuroMed Academy for Young Journalists [E] – Amman, May 2008
* Leadership course: Media and reporting on environment and climate change [E] – Amman, November 2008
* Anticipating Climate Risks, 3rd World Climate Conference [E] – Geneva, September 2009
* The Danish International Media Festival [D] - Odense, November 2010
* Radio Netherlands Worldwide: Earth Beat [E] (intern producer) – Hilversum, October-December 2011

When you have to shoot – shoot, don’t talk: Video production
Prior to my writing experience, I’ve been mostly into video production. That first means that I used to study in the Film department at Alon High-school, Ramat HaSharon. But even before I spent about four years taking part in the Telenoar crew [E] which produced the TV shows Hatzata Me’ucheret (“Late Ignition”) and Omes Yeter (“Overload”), both broadcasted on cable in Israel. There I used to be chief editor, director and cameraman.
Later on, between 2002-2005, I’ve been cameraman and assistant cameraman in the Rot Films [E/H] OB production vans, Crane grip for MVP and also cameraman (both studio and ENG) for three TV cable channels in Israel (Home+ and Karma for 360 [E /H] and Teva HaDvarim [H]). In addition, I’ve also taken part as either assistant cameraman or lighting (sometimes both at the same time) in around 20 other productions: independent films, video clips, student films and image videos.

Here and there
I’m currently based in Amsterdam, and in my spare time I enjoy hiking (and occasionally treasure-hunting), taking photos (and rarely showing off), reading books (and sometimes setting them free), watching a good film or a theater play, visiting art museums and cooking (read: running culinary experiments).
But I keep on staying in the move. I’ve been into traveling almost as long as I can remember myself, and I’ve been backpacking in New Zealand, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Iceland and Portugal – probably the kind of experiences which stays for the longest.

So in short, I would say that meeting other people, visiting different places and learning new things – these are the peaks of my life (and if this already sounds like an old cliche, then all rights reserved).