OSCE helps Serbian municipal officials and journalists improve communication to ease access to information
BELGRADE, 25 March 2009 - A two-day OSCE training seminar that started in Belgrade today aims to help municipal officials and journalists work together to increase the public's access to information.
"Stronger and more principled links between municipal bodies and journalists will help improve media coverage of community affairs and increase public trust in both the authorities and the media," said Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.
The seminar, jointly organized by the OSCE Mission and the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, brings together 25 participants from across the country. The Austrian Government financed the course.
International and local experts will conduct sessions on the technical, legal and ethical principles of interaction between municipal officials and journalists, as well as global standards related to access to information.
The Belgrade event is the second of its kind in Serbia. The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has held more than 20 similar seminars in other parts of the OSCE region since 2005.