Aspiring documentary makers can apply for a mentored working trip to New Orleans.

World Nomads is accepting applications for a travel documentary scholarship. The winner will spend 10 days in New Orleans under the mentorship of filmmaker and director Brian Rapsey.

One person or teams of two can apply. The trip will take place Feb. 26 — March 8, 2014 (dates may vary by a few days).

The winner will receive round-trip airfare from the country of residence to New Orleans, enrollment in the travel filmmaking course, video gear and accessories, and travel insurance.

The four runners-up will receive in addition enrollment in a travel film-making course and a tripod. The top 50 entries will also receive enrollment in the travel filmmaking mini-course.

Applicants must submit a maximum three-minute travel video in English.

The deadline is Nov. 6.

For more information, click here: http://journals.worldnomads.com/scholarships/story/106245/USA/Travel-Film-Scholarship-2013-New-Orleans#axzz2kL5BboPI

Journalists who want to learn how to tell stories with data can register for this free course.

The European Journalism Centre (EJC) is offering registration for its online data journalism course “Doing Journalism with Data: First Steps, Skills and Tools.”

This five-module introductory course consists of the following topics: data journalism in the newsroom, finding data to support stories, finding story ideas with data analysis, dealing with messy data and telling stories with visualization.

Comprising of video lectures, tutorials, assignments, readings and discussion forums, this course is open to anyone in the world with an Internet connection.

Instructors include Simon Rogers, data editor at Twitter; Paul Bradshaw, head of the online journalism master’s program at Birmingham City University; Nicolas Kayser-Bril, co-founder and head at data journalism startupJournalism++; and other leading experts in the field.

The course will begin in early 2014.

For more information, click here: http://datadrivenjournalism.net/course/

DUSHANBE — The united Tajik opposition is demanding that election authorities register its candidate for president, despite the fact she fell short of the necessary signatures required. 

Oinihol Bobonazarova, backed by the United Reformist Forces, missed an October 11 deadline to collect the required 210,000 signatures of support from registered voters.

But the opposition argues that the 202,000 signatures that Bobonazarova did collect make her eligible, since the law requires the support of 5 percent of the country’s estimated 4 million eligible voters.

The opposition also blames the authorities for weakening Bobonazarova’s chances by preventing more than 1 million Tajik migrants — a key opposition power base — from taking part in the signature-gathering process.

Six candidates, including incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, have been registered to take part in the November 6 vote.

The Europe-based Human Rights for Central Asia Association says an Uzbek journalist missing since September 21 has been sentenced to 12 days in jail. 

The association’s chairwoman, Nadezhda Atayeva, said Sergei Naumov was arrested by police in his native city of Urgench in western Uzbekistan and sentenced for assaulting a woman.

Atayeva placed a copy of the court’s ruling on her website.

Naumov, whose right to have a lawyer at his hearing was violated, pleaded not guilty, saying the case is politically motivated.

Naumov is known for his reporting from mandatory cotton-picking sites in Uzbekistan.

His family and friends had lost touch with Naumov after his arrest.

Atayeva said Naumov was only able to get a lawyer on September 24, three days after his conviction.

Based on reporting by Uznews.net and Fergana.ru

http://www.rferl.org/content/uzbekistan-journalist-jail-cotton/25117331.html

The Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed concern over the fate of an independent journalist who has been missing in western Uzbekistan since September 21. 

In a statement, RSF said journalist Sergei Naumov, who is known for his reporting about forced labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry, managed to inform friends by telephone that he had been arrested.

Naumov’s friends have reportedly inquired at local police stations, the prosecutor’s office, and the National Security Service without finding any trace of him.

The editor of the Ferghana News website, Daniil Kislov, said Naumov might have been arrested for his journalistic activities.

At least three students have reportedly died in recent days while participating in forced labor in Uzbek cotton fields.

The practice of forced labor has been harshly criticized by the rights community, and numerous Western retail stores have banned clothes made from Uzbek cotton.

Based on a rsf.org statement

http://www.rferl.org/content/article/25115072.html

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — A court in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, has suspended the operations of an independent newspaper for three months. 

The court also ruled on September 23 that the owners of the «Ashyq alan» (Tribune) weekly must pay a $1,130 fine for «violating the schedule of the periodical’s issuance.»

The newspaper’s editors insist that their journalists were on vacation between July 10 and August 21 and that’s why the newspaper wasn’t issue during that time. They say they will appeal the court’s decision.

«Ashyq alan» is known for its articles criticizing the authorities.

Last year, Kazakh courts suspended and/or shut down several opposition and independent newspapers and websites after prosecutors requested two opposition groups and dozens of opposition media be designated as extremist.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan-another-periodical-closed/25114649.html

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the arrest of an independent Azerbaijani journalist and demanded his immediate release. 

In a statement released on September 19, the CPJ said Parviz Hasimli was arrested on fabricated charges, adding that the press in Azerbaijan must be allowed to freely cover the country’s October 9 presidential poll.

A journalist with the «Bizim yol» (Our Path) newspaper, Hasimli was charged on September 17 after police allegedly found six guns and ammunition in his house.

On September 18, a court in Baku ruled that Hasimli must stay in pretrial detention for up to two months.

Hasimli insists the guns were planted by the police.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused the Azerbaijani authorities of trying to silence dissent ahead of the presidential election.

http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-cpj-journalist-arrest/25112232.html

DUSHANBE — Registration for Tajikistan’s mid-November presidential election has officially started. 

As of September 17, political parties and two national social organizations are allowed to forward candidates for the nation’s top post.

The Tajik Association of Reformist Forces, a coalition of the Social Democratic Party and prominent public figures, has already announced it will support rights activist Oynihol Bobonazarova as its candidate.

The Islamic Renaissance Party, the country’s largest opposition party, confirmed its support for Bobonazarova at a party congress on September 17.

Five other parties are still weighing the option of forwarding their own candidates. The country’s biggest party — the People’s Democratic Party of Tajikistan — is nominating incumbent President Emomali Rahmon, who has been the country’s leader since 1992.

Candidates have 25 days to complete registration requirements.

The presidential election is scheduled for November 6. The official campaign period begins on October 6 and ends on November 5.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik-presidential-election-campaign-starts/25108465.html

DUSHANBE — A leading Tajik opposition figure and businessman has gone on trial in Dushanbe. 

Zayd Saidov, a lawmaker and the leader of Tajikistan’s unregistered New Tajikistan party, was arrested in May and charged with bribe-taking, abuse of office, financial fraud, extortion, polygamy, and sexual relations with a minor, among other charges.

Saidov denies any wrongdoing and says his case is politically motivated.

He said earlier this year at a court hearing that he believes he is being persecuted for his decision to set up his political party.

Presenting his party’s program in April, Saidov harshly criticized the government for «inefficient reforms, pressure on small- and medium-sized businesses, exorbitant prices, and widespread corruption.»

Saidov’s relatives were not allowed to be present at the trial, which is being held behind closed doors.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik-opposition-trial-/25103733.html

Call for Submissions

Developing Asia Journalism Awards 2013

Regionalism in Asia vs. Globalization

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) invites submissions for the Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) 2013 competition. The theme for DAJA 2013 is “Regionalism in Asia vs. Globalization.” Journalists from developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are invited to submit their published or newly written articles.

With the WTO’s Doha Development Round negotiations stalled, regional integration initiatives have gathered momentum in Asia. Two mega-regional FTA initiatives—the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)—currently dominate the process. DAJA 2013 will focus on the achievements, strategies, and challenges of trade liberalization under the WTO vs. regional FTAs. In particular, we invite journalists to submit articles that explore the following themes/questions: (1) Do regional FTAs complement or compete with multilateral liberalization under the WTO? (2) Are the TPP and RCEP competitive or complementary? (3) What are/will be the impact of regional integration on economic development in Asia? (4) What is the best way for developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to liberalize their economies?

A panel of judges will select 25 finalists. Cash prizes will be awarded to one Winner, one First Runner-up, one Second Runner-up, and one Young Development Journalist of the Year (under age 30 as of 30 September 2013). All finalists will be invited to ADBI in Tokyo in November 2013 for a special DAJA forum and awards ceremony.

Please visit www.adbi.org/journalism.awards for more information and to register online. The deadline for submission of articles to DAJA 2013 is 30 September 2013.

Application guidelines: (1) Applicants must be verified by their Editor(s) as bona-fide journalists; (2) Journalists must be a citizen of one of ADB’s developing member countries; (3) Journalists who were invited to Tokyo to participate in DAJA 2012 are NOT qualified to enter this year’s competition; and (4) ADBI must receive article submissions by 30 September 2013.

www.adbi.org/journalism.awards/