DUSHANBE, August 5, 2008, Asia-Plus — A three-day seminar for journalists and employees of press services of the government bodies, parliament and the Supreme Court, entitled “Access to Information: Cooperation and Transparency”, will be held in Dushanbe from August 7-9.
The seminar, hosted by the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – 21st century” (School), is part of the “Access to Information: Cooperation and Transparency” project implemented by the School under support of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
The School executive director Safo Safarov said that the seminar participants will consider the followings subjects: legal and ethical principles of cooperation between officials and journalists; national and international standards of access to information; new technologies in work of press services; audio, photo and video materials, website of organization.
The training will be conducted under technical assistance of Tajik Journalists’ and its participants will be given certificates.
“It is to be noted that the first stage of the project also includes conducting master-classes for he target group on subjects such as “work of press services with journalists and interaction of the press service employees with other departments of organization”, “successful communications”, “preparing and conducting information campaigns, press conferences”, “preparing press releases, bulletins, brochures and newsletters,” the executive director said.
The main objective of the “Access to Information: Cooperation and Transparency” project is to promote providing reliable access to information of significance for society through raising professionalism of journalists and press service employees and establishing an efficient interaction between media and press services of the state institutions.
The project also provides for publishing a single subject manual in two languages (Tajik and Russian) as well as providing technical informational consulting support to the target group. Besides, working meeting, formally titling “Cooperation of Media and Press Centers: Achievements and Prospects” are conducted. The meetings will result in signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Established in June 1999, the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – 21st Century” aims to promote improvement of professionalism of journalists, development of Tajikistan’s information market, ad strengthening of competitiveness of media. Over the period of its activity, the School has implemented some 20 projects, including “Tajikistan’s Journalism in New Century”, “Management in Media”, “Journalistic Resource Center” as well as the cross-border project “Tajikistan-Afghanistan: Bridges of Friendship”, etc. As part of the projects, the School has conducted seminars, trainings and training courses on raising professionalism of journalists, instructing media personnel in modern methods of management and marketing, information and computer technologies, norms of journalistic ethics, etc.
