A two-week seminar on multimedia journalism completed in Dushanbe on 26 October.

Sukhrobi Ziyo, representative of BBC in Tajikistan told Khovar news agency that 18 journalists from various regions of Tajikistan have received their certificates of completion of multimedia journalism courses.

During two weeks journalists attended lectures of former BBC employees who now work as trainers for a British media organization «Jadidmedia». The Tajik journalists have learned the basics of photo journalism; they practiced to work with audio and video files and learned how to launch them in the internet. By the end of the workshop, every participant had to prepare a three-four-minute clip covering a social topic. All works will be launched on the web site www.jadidonline.com.

«Not only experienced journalists, web designers, photo correspondents and cameramen attended the workshop, — says Ziyo. — It was also attended by university students of journalism faculties and free-lancers who wish to work in the sphere of multimedia».

The workshop was organized by British Broadcasting Corporation office in Tajikistan, a non-governmental organization «Jadid-media» and the International Fund named after Muhiddin Olimpour.

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National Association of Independent Media and the information agency «Inter Press Service» have jointly issued the fifteenth monthly bulletin «Media and Law».

The following link gives you detailed information on the bulletin: http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=122

Journalists of Khatlon province attended a two-day workshop «Role of the media in prevention and control of tuberculosis». This is a countrywide initiative supported financially by USAID, and technically by NGO «Hope».

On 18-19 October, the city of Kulyab in Khatlon province hosted a workshop «Role of the media in prevention and control of tuberculosis». This is a countrywide initiative supported financially by USAID, and technically by NGO «Hope».

Participants of the workshop discussed the issues of sensitivity in covering the topics of dangerous diseases, which often mislead the public and cause panic.

In the course of discussions, most of the participants expressed concerns about censorship and lack of access to information, which is frequently justified by public officials referring to «internal ministerial instructions» and «resolutions from above» that do not have any legal ground.

NANSMIT monitoring service

The British Institute for War ad Peace Reporting (IWPR) presents international standards of journalism to media professionals in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province. A two-day workshop was organized in the city of Khorog, the administrative center of GBAO.

Apart from the international standards of journalism, correspondents of the Pamir Media news agency studied the basics of analytical news writing based upon the IWPR standards.

Lola Khalikjanova, editor of the Tajik IWPR branch says that the main goal of the training session is the enhancement of professional skills among media professionals in the region. Participants say that the workshop has been quite fruitful. They are looking forward to applying the new skills in their everyday activities.

Upon the accomplishment of the workshop, the organizers arranged a presentation of a new book titled «Reportages in the name of changes: manual for journalists working in crises». The book was published by IWPR under support of the British Development Ministry and other donors.

IWPR is a network of non-commercial organizations. The main activity of IWPR is assistance to local media entities in regions of crises and conflicts, and in countries in transition. IWPR’s programs are targeted to media coverage of various events, educational and institutional projects.

A well-known Kyrgyz journalist Alisher Saipov was killed on 24 October in downtown Osh. Under protection of anonymity, a Kyrgyz State Security Committee officer agreed to share some details of investigation.

On 24 October, at 19:08 the Osh city Interior Department received a report about a dead body found in one of the city dwelling areas. Upon the crime scene, investigators found three bullet shells. Alisher Saipov was shot dead, supposedly from a Makarov pistol. Investigators are waiting for preliminary results of autopsy and ballistic tests.

According to the first reports, no witnesses have been identified. The Osh municipal police applied to the citizens asking for their assistance in investigation.

In different periods, Alisher Saipov worked for Ferghana.ru news agency, Voice of America, and Radio Liberty. Lately, he has been both publisher and editor of an Uzbek-language newspaper «Siyosat» («Politics»).

According to the «24.kg» news agency, one of the preliminary allegations voiced by the police concerning the murder is Saipov’s professional activities.

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The Third International Conference «Terrorism and Electronic Media» is being held these days in the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia.

According to Antoly Lysenko, President of the International Academy of Television and Radio, the experience gained during the last two years has shown that the dialogue at the international level among the electronic media, counter-terrorist structures and public authorities initiated by the International Academy proved to be quite useful. «We have established contacts on business level, and agreed upon the main principles of cooperation with those who are authorised to counter terrorism, — he said. These entities are united by a noble goal – protection of the peoples on the planet from the most dangerous threats and contemporary challenges». Lysenko considers that the communities of journalists in many countries have adopted «the rules of the game», which had been developed at two previous conferences. E also thinks that the goals defined by terrorists can be achieved not only through forced methods, but also by means of systematic promotion of violence,earthliness and destruction of human principles.

The Forum will last until 27 October. Among the participants are leading media professionals from the CIS, India, Croatia, France, Greece, Cyprus, Estonia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Serbia, Marocco and other countries. Tajikistan is represented by a Moscow Bureau correspondent of Khovar news agency, Khalima Khushkadamova.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) is ready to finance a district newspaper «Payomi Tojikobod.

A new season of quarterly press conferences will start on 11 October. The President’s Office reminds that the ministries and other government bodies will present information on the outcomes of the third quarter at press conferences.

According to the President’s decree dated 4 March 2005, quarterly press conferences are conducted with the purpose to ensure transparency of activities by the ministries, government institutions and local administrations, and to ensure access of journalists to official data.

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The Saint Petersburg city interior department disproved a report of the Russian media on a public affray, which was presented as an alleged fight between Tajik labor migrants and local residents in Priozers district of Leningrad province, Russian Federation.

«Six feature films have been translated into Tajik language during the third quarter of 2007 by the State Committee on Radio and Television under the Tajik government», — said Abdurakhmon Abdumamonov at a press conference held on 11 October in Dushanbe.

Abdumanonov also informed the media about the installation of 100 TV transmitters in the country regions and one radio transmitter. 33 TV transmitters are installed for broadcasting of the First Tajik TV Channel, 63 transmitters – for broadcasting of «Safina TV», and three others – for «Bakhoriston TV». One transmitter was installed for broadcasting of the Russian RTR Channel in Shugnan district of GBAO. One radio transmitter for broadcasting of the Tajik State Radio was installed in Ghanchi district of Sughd province.

The official also informed that his agency together with the National Security Committee and the State Inspection on Radio and Television conducted several raids during which they confiscated and destroyed 39 thousand illegal audio and video discs and cassettes.

Abdumanonov said that the State Radio & V Committee commenced construction of two dwelling houses (120 apartments) for the Committee employees. The total cost of the project is 12,124 million Somoni.

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