OSCE strengthens the capacities of media professionals on open data journalism

On 28 and 29 September, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) delivered a capacity-building programme on open data for media professionals. The training, which was co-organized with the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and took place at the PCUz office in Tashkent, gathered 23 journalists and bloggers.

The growing availability of open data in the country, including via the online publication of data-sets by government agencies, creates new opportunities for journalism and contributes to an increasing demand for data-based information.

The two-day training organized by the PCUz aimed to improve the skills of media community representatives in using open data. It also focused on developing practical skills in the collection, treatment and presentation of compelling and appealing media materials. In this regard, the participants were also trained on the use of modern tools for multimedia journalism and visualization.

By promoting a wider use of open data in journalism, the PCUz supports the production and distribution of fact-based, accurate and verifiable information. The PCUz also encourages citizens to critically engage with the content they consume.

The training is part of the project “Support to Good Governance Reforms”. In this framework, the PCUz assists national stakeholders in the development of an open data ecosystem in Uzbekistan in order to increase the transparency of public institutions and demonstrate the practical applicability of open data.