OSCE Centre trains Kyrgyz journalists in economic reporting

TALAS, 4 September, 2009 - A two-day OSCE-supported training course to help journalists improve their coverage of economic and financial topics began today in Talas in northwestern Kyrgyzstan.
Fifteen journalists are taking part in the workshop, organized by the Talas Media Resource Centre and taught by an expert from the parliament.
The book Broadcasting economic themes in media, written by leading experts on economic journalism and published with support from the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, is being used in the course.
"Access to information including to economic statistics and development trends plays an important role in the economic life of the country," said Lilian Darii, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. "This training course equips local journalists with skills and knowledge to objectively and transparently cover economic issues. This could help business community and the public better understand state economic policy, world economic processes."
Gulnara Imankulova, head of Talas Media Resource Centre, added: "This course helps local journalists learn about local and global economic trends, enabling them to improve their coverage, which in turn should promote transparent governance."
The training course is part of an OSCE Centre programme that aims to build the capacity of regional media, particularly by improving local reporters' skills in economic, environmental and investigative journalism.