IREX Observes World Press Freedom Day: Activities by Country

Activities by Country

Armenia | Azerbaijan | Georgia | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Moldova | Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Ukraine | Uzbekistan


 

Armenia

Roundtable: Freedom of speech in the Armenian press and relevant Web resources
Yerevan IATP central office, May 3
The central IATP office in Yerevan will host representatives of the local press and alumni of various USG programs for a roundtable discussion on freedom of speech in Armenia and for a presentation of related Web resources.



Azerbaijan

Roundtable: Media in Transition
Baku, May 21
Arif Aliyev, president of the journalist's association Yeni Nesil, along with a representative of Internews/Azerbaijan, will meet with USG alumni to discuss the current state of media in Azerbaijan.

 
 
Georgia

Seminar: Media—The Guarantor of the Future
Rustavi IATP public access site, May 3
Editor and Contemporary Issues program alumna Rusudan Tsereteli, together with the Rustavi IATP site administrator, will conduct a seminar for journalists working in Rustavi newspapers.

Seminar: The Press and Social Problems
Khashuri IATP public access site, May 4
The Khashuri IATP site will conduct a seminar for students of the Journalism Department of Khashuri Independent University.

Seminar: The Internet for Media Representatives
Poti IATP public access site, May 5
The Poti IATP site will conduct a seminar for local television journalists.

Seminar: Consistencies and Contrasts in US and Georgian Media Systems
Tbilisi, May 7
Freedom Support Act Undergraduate Program alumna Khatia Shalamberidze will conduct a seminar for journalism students by comparing mass media and journalism in Georgia and the United States.

Seminar: e-Resources for Journalists
Gori IATP public access site, May 7
The Gori IATP access site will acquaint journalists from newspapers and press agencies in Gori with Georgian and non-Georgian media resources on the Web.

Lecture: Freedom of Press in Adjara
Tbilisi, May 3
With support from the IREX-administered Media Innovations Program for Georgia, the IREX Georgia office will organize a seminar for USG alumni on press freedom in Adjaria.



Kazakhstan

Seminar: Online Media Resources for Journalists
Ust-Kamenogorsk (April 26), Semey (April 28), Aktobe (April 30), and Turkestan (May 5)
Selected IATP sites will acquaint local journalists with relevant Web resources.

Internet chat: Legal Support for the Media
IATP sites countrywide, April 29
IATP sites nationwide will host an Internet chat outlining avenues of legal support for the media.

Seminar: Internet Resources for Journalism Students
Petropavlovsk, March 5
The Petropavlovsk IATP public access site will conduct a seminar for local journalism students on relevant Web resources.



Kyrgyzstan

Internet chat: Freedom of the Press in Kyrgyzstan
IATP sites countrywide, May 3
Samagan Aitymbetov, chief editor of Akipress (www.akipress.org), a popular news agency in Kyrgyzstan, will give a presentation for USG alumni and local media employees on the general state of press freedom issues in Kyrgyzstan. IATP access sites in 16 towns will enable chat participants to discuss related issues with Aitymbetov, a journalist representing a thoroughly experienced and highly competitive press institution in Kyrgyzstan.



Moldova

Online forum series: The Moldovan Media Today
IATP public access sites countrywide, beginning May 3
On May 3, IATP sites nationwide will inaugurate a series of online interview forums covering a comprehensive overview of the media in Moldova. Guests Alan Freedman of the International Organization for Migration, together with Moldovan journalists, will hold a series of online interviews of USG alumni and IATP site visitors on a range of topics, including access to information and freedom of speech, a comparison of access to information in rural and urban areas, print and electronic press, censorship and legislation, and professional ethics for journalists.

Seminar: Access to Information: e-Press in Moldova
Chisinau, May 7
In collaboration with the US embassy Alumni Resource Center, Chisinau IATP sites will present a seminar for USG alumni and journalists on the e-press in Moldova.

Discussion with Angela Sirbu: Press Freedom in Moldova
Chisinau, May 3
Angela Sirbu, director of the Independent Journalism Center, will speak to USG alumni about freedom of the press in Moldova and will facilitate interactive discussion through a question-and-answer session.



Russia

Training: How to Effectively Work with Mass Media
Samara, May 24
USG alumni will participate in a one-day training, conducted by a professional trainer, to learn effective public relations tools and how to interact with mass media in their work. The training will benefit USG alumni in the Samara region, who are very active in organizing community development projects, either through the US alumni club or within their own organizations. The role of mass media and effective public relations is crucial in bringing attention to these projects to increase community mobilization and involvement.



Tajikistan

Virtual Internet conference: Mass Media and Democratization in Tajikistan
IATP public access sites countrywide, April 30
IATP public access sites nationwide will host a virtual conference on the current situation of the free mass media in Tajikistan and its role in democratization of society. Participants will include journalists, government representatives, law students, and interested USG alumni.

Seminar: General Education, Free Press, and Journalists’ Safety
Kulyab IATP public access sites, May 3
The IATP public access sites in Kulyab will conduct a seminar for journalism and law students and USG alumni on the role of general education on the values of a free press and journalists’ safety.

Roundtable: Internet Solutions for Journalism Problems
Tursunzade, May 4
The IATP site in Tursunzade will conduct a roundtable for journalism and law students and USG alumni on current problems of journalists and how the Internet can help them solve them.

Seminar: e-Publishing and Internet Resources for Journalists
Dushanbe, May 5
Dushanbe IATP sites will host a seminar conducted by Alumni Advisory Council members on e-publishing and Internet resources for journalists. Participants will include journalists, law students, and interested USG alumni.

Roundtable: Press Freedom in Tajikistan
Dushanbe, May 29
Majidova Jamila, director of the NGO Armugon and a representative of the information agency Asri Navin, will conduct a presentation for USG alumni on freedom of the press in Tajikistan.



Turkmenistan

Internet chat: Freedom of the Press in Turkmenistan
IATP access sites nationwide, May 4
A guest speaker from UNESCO will conduct a countrywide Internet chat with journalists and USG alumni on press freedom in Turkmenistan.

Roundtable with the US ambassador: World Press Freedom Day
Ashgabat, May 3
US Ambassador to Turkmenistan Tracey Ann Jacobson will meet USG alumni to discuss freedom of the press globally and in Turkmenistan.



Ukraine

Internet conference: Public Opinion and the Media
Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Uzhgorod, Kharkiv, and Lutsk, April 22
German media expert Ingrid Scheithauer will conduct an Internet conference for journalists and USG alumni on public opinion and the media.

Internet conference: Forming Independent Media in Ukraine—13 Years of Struggle for Freedom of Speech
IATP public access sites countrywide, April 28
Invited guests will conduct a virtual Internet conference for local representatives of the mass media and alumni of USG media programs on the history of independent media in Ukraine, the financial independence of Ukrainian media, independent media on the Internet, elections and professional ethics, and other topical issues. Invited experts include Taras Marusyak of Radio Liberty (Kyiv), Olena Mostova of Dzerkalo tyzhdnya (Weekly Mirror) (Kyiv), and Ivan Vovk of the Independent Monitoring Committee, an NGO that monitors election activities (Ivano-Frankivsk).

Roundtable: Independent Media in Ukraine Today
Lviv, May 12
Dr. Lianne Fridriksson of Baylor University will moderate a roundtable discussion for journalists and USG alumni on the status of independent media in Ukraine.

Seminar: Freedom of Speech in the Eyes of Young Journalists
Sumy, May 13
The Sumy IATP public access site will conduct a seminar on freedom of speech for students, young journalists, and alumni of USG high school and undergraduate programs, with participation from the Sumy branch of the Ukrainian Union of Journalists and the youth NGO Studiya Vidlik.

Roundtable: Independent Media in Ukraine Today
Ternopil and Zaporizhia, TBD
The Ternopil and Zaporizhia IATP public access sites will conduct roundtables for local journalists and USG alumni on the status of independent media in Ukraine.

Panel discussion: The Role of Independent Mass Media in Society
Kyiv, May 22
USG alumni working in journalism and independent mass media will discuss the roles that their outlets have in promoting an open society. Special attention will be paid to the role of media outlets to promote a free and fair election. Speakers will include Contemporary Issues Program alumnus Vasyl Zorya of the Novy Canal TV station, Freedom Support Act Undergraduate Program alumnus Dmytro Furdak of ICTV, and Contemporary Issues Program alumna Lyudmyla Pustelnyk of the newspaper Slovo Prosvity.



Uzbekistan

Roundtable: Press Freedoms in Central Asia
Tashkent, May 3
USG alumni will discuss new media reforms in Central Asia.