More than 45 journalists from countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, Morocco, Jordan and Iraq, took part in a series of business reporting workshops, sponsored by the Center for International Private Enterprise and administered by the International Center for Journalists with the Al Ahram Press Institute. The workshops held in January and April 2005 were designed to improve the ability of Middle Eastern and North African journalists to report effectively about business and economics and increase understanding among Arab populations of these issues.

The first workshop (held in Cairo, Egypt, in January 2005) addressed the basics of business and economic reporting. The more than 45 participants representing 14 countries attended sessions on topics ranging from the key elements of a business story to covering privatization and public companies, and visited the Cairo Stock Exchange.

The second part of the program brought together 14 of the participants from the first workshop at the Red Sea resort of Ain Soukhna, Egypt in mid-April. During the 4-day workshop, participants learned techniques so that they could become effective trainers in business and economic reporting. They not only designed and conducted training sessions, they also critiqued their peers. Salem Wahbi, a participant from Egypt, noted that “this workshop created a closeness. We benefitted from one another and from the trainers.”

Experienced journalist and trainer Margie Freaney led both workshops. She is a former Knight International Press Fellow and has worked with journalists in countries from Vietnam to Slovakia and was formerly the academic director of the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management in Tbilisi, Georgia.

“This will help us in the preparation of future workshops when we return to our countries,” added Salman Al Ajmi, business editor for Al Ayam in Bahrain. “It will help us to develop our skills and our capacity to compile and analyze what we have learned.”

ICFJ launched a listserv for the participants of both workshops so that they can remain in touch with each other and with Freaney. This resource will allow the journalists to share training tips and success stories with the entire network.