OSCE trains government press service representatives in Turkmenistan
ASHGABAT, 21 September 2011 – Some 20 spokespersons and press service representatives from Turkmenistan’s ministries and state institutions will share experiences and acquire new skills during an OSCE-organized training seminar that opened in Ashgabat today.
Held by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the three-day course aims to improve the participants’ professional skills in order to help them effectively fulfill their role and assist media in covering activities of government institutions.
”With the development of Internet and modern communication technologies, the information exchange is getting faster, and the role of government press services in promoting access to official information and improving flow of information between state institutions and the public and the media becomes even more important,” said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović who opened the seminar as part of her visit to Turkmenistan.
“This is the first training event of this kind that the OSCE organizes in Turkmenistan, and we look forward to continuing joint activities that would contribute to promoting commitments on access to information undertaken within the OSCE framework,” said Ambassador Sergei Belyaev, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
The training course will focus on instruments used by press officers and spokespersons, such as press releases and other information materials, as well as on preparing interviews, briefings and press conferences. Participants will also discuss effective models of communication between government press services and media, as well as international and national standards on access to information. Special emphasis will be placed on new communication environment and the use of the Internet for communication with the media and the public. The seminar participants will take part in practical exercises, case studies and role plays.