Ira Glass, host of Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life [6], spoke to more than 200 Russian regional radio journalists in Moscow during the Together Radio Festival this summer. Glass spoke about the importance of public service and the use of personal stories to highlight social issues, as his syndicated radio program does. He also taught a one-day master class for 10 journalists at the Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting, which partnered with Chicago Public Radio as part of IREX’s USAID-funded International Media Partnerships Program.
Just as This American Life each week highlights stories based around a single theme that aims to entertain, educate, or otherwise shed light on a topic, Glass encouraged the Russian journalists to tackle important themes like social issues, gender inequality, minority rights, and tolerance in creative ways.
IMPP fosters the growth of a diverse range of professional organizations and institutions to support Russia’s media sector through tailored collaborations with their counterparts in the United States and Europe. Through IMPP [7], IREX helps Russian media industry organizations tackle challenges they face in governance, management, financing, membership, service provision, lobbying, and networking.
Photo Source: FNR.ru