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OSCE Centre in Astana trains journalists to cover environmental issues

5 April 2012
Participants discuss ways to present environmental challenges faced in the country's south, Shimkent, 6 April 2012. (OSCE/Madina Ibrasheva) Photo details

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan, 5 April 2012 – A two-day training course on environmental reporting for journalists began today in Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan. The course was organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana together with the NGO MediaNet International Centre for Journalism, the Southern Kazakhstan Regional Administration, and the newly established Shymkent Aarhus Centre.

Twenty-five broadcast and print media journalists from the cities of Shymkent, Kyzylorda and Taraz were selected for the course through a competitive process, and will be trained in the latest techniques for covering environmental issues. They will learn about investigative environmental journalism, and will be given specific guidance on covering issues illustrated by examples. The participants will also discuss the most significant environmental issues for the southern regions of the country, the importance of the public participation in environmental decision-making, and learn about strategies to keep the public informed.

“The OSCE Centre in Astana supports activities designed to enhance journalists' professional skills and knowledge when covering environmental issues,” said Alexander Peytchev, the Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

“The growth of broadcast and print media poses new challenges for contemporary journalism as they must satisfy the public’s demand for new media technologies,” said Igor Brattsev, the Director of the MediaNet International Centre for Journalism. “This trend compels journalists, particularly those covering environmental issues, to constantly find new ways to present information in an interesting and informative manner.”

The training course builds on two similar events held last year in Atyrau and Pavlodar aimed at enhancing regional journalists’ environmental reporting skills. A fourth training event for Kazakhstan’s central regions will be held later this year. An environmental journalism manual will also be developed for journalists’ use.