EU funds journalist training

The European Union has donated US$90,000 to a project aimed at training Lao journalists to cover news more professionally.

The Lao Journalists' Association will run the two-year project with the Lao Women's Union , as it also aims to improve journalists' understanding of women's concerns.

The project was officially launched in Vientiane on Friday and is titled “Information and Women for Development in the Lao PDR”.

European Union Ambassador to Laos Dr Friedrich Hamburger said the EU's financial support to the Lao Journalists' Association was part of its efforts to implement the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights.

He said the objectives were to enhance journalism in Laos by improving its relevance, quality and diversity of information and also to strengthen the role of women in society.

“The project will contribute to strengthening the capacity of Lao journalists as a professional body, and make them able to improve the quality of the coverage of events relevant to women,” he said.

“The project is also designed to produce new types of radio and TV programmes with the active participation of women.”

Lao Journalists' Association Vice President Somsanouk Mixay said the project manager was designing the course and would invite journalists to attend the course in the near future. Female journalists in provincial areas will be given priority, he added.

He said the course would focus on development to help Lao journalists report about issues professionally. The course will be held twice a year, and it is hoped about 60 journalists will be trained throughout the project period.

He said the trainers would be invited from Laos and neighbouring countries including Vietnam .

A member of the Lao Journalists' Association said the course was necessary for development of the industry, because many Lao journalists were unskilled.

He said the project also aimed to help female journalists work more professionally, and may pave the way for media organisations to recruit more women to work in the sector.

This is the first time the EU has financed a project directly supporting media in Laos .

By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
(Latest Update May 12 , 2008)