British Council and PASHA Bank successfully completed the local training sessions within the Business Journalism project 2017. The programme trained 11 journalists on the professional media and digital media skills. The journalists attended three five day training sessions in Azerbaijan conducted by the trainer from the Thomson Foundation. Journalists will complete the programme with the UK Study Tour to take place in March 2017 at the Thomson Foundation in the London, UK.
Business Journalism project is the continuation of successful partnership between the British Council and PASHA Bank over the past six years, which led to the training of more than 70 Azerbaijan journalists on the professional competencies and skills of national media through a special tailored training programme. This year 11 senior journalists joined the project representing leading news and broadcasting agencies in Azerbaijan, including but not limited to Space TV, Trend, APA Holding, Azertag, ARB, SIA News Agency and etc.
Over three weeks' intensive training in Baku, the journalists learned multimedia skills including mobile video, audio, data journalism, photography, maps, online and social media. During the final week in Baku, they created and presented multimedia stories on beating the economic crisis, the rise of adventure tourism, how to become an Azeri globetrotter, the Azerbaijan movie industry, the artistic enterprises of a Baku women's small business group, Baku's battle of the taxis, the challenges facing women farmers and the development of a hi-tech braille pad for people with sight disabilities.
These journalists will undertake customised business reporting course and will visit some of the leading media establishments in the United Kingdom such as BBC and Telegraph, and meet with prominent business journalists in March 2017 in London, UK.
The programme is implemented in cooperation with the United Kingdom's Thomson Foundation which is one of Europe's biggest media organisations empowering thousands of journalists worldwide to generate and sustain a diverse media and working in over 100 countries towards encouraging the highest ethical and professional standards in media.
Sona Abbasova, Director of Corporate Communications, PASHA Bank said: «During these 6 years the project of business journalism development became an important component part of the Social Responsibility Program of PASHA Bank. As a primary target we always saw establishment of a leading group of professional journalists representing local mass media and covering mainly economic and business issues. I would like to say with great pleasure that efforts of PASHA Bank jointly with British Council in this direction gave important results. Owing to participation in specialized trainings, acquaintance with the long-term experience of their European colleagues, local journalists successfully apply obtained qualifications for professional information of public and analysis of economic reforms and transformation taking place in the country».
Dan Mason, Trainer, Thomson Foundation said: "The diversity, depth and quality of stories produced in a short time was extremely impressive. Each year's group produces some outstanding multimedia stories, and this year is no exception. They have more than earned their flight to London and have a bright future ahead."