The 2008 Professional Development Program for
Editors from Macedonia

October 26 - November 5, 2008

Macedonian editor Katerina Blazhevska interviews  Daniel Fried

The International Center for Journalists administered a ten-day intensive professional development program for five senior editors from Macedonia from late October to early November.

Focusing on topics such as investigative journalism, media convergence, journalism ethics, and newsroom management, the group visited major U.S. news organizations like The Washington Post, NPR, USA Today, Bloomberg News, ProPublica and CBS Evening News. The group also met experts on foreign affairs and U.S. elections at the Brookings Institution, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Furthermore, they had in-depth discussions with key U.S. foreign and security policy makers regarding the Balkan region, such as Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo at the U.S. Mission to the UN, and key officers from the Office of European Affairs Policy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon.

The visiting editors also learned about U.S. government-media relationship through attending a daily press briefing and meeting with Director of Press Relations and Washington Foreign Press Center Gordon Duguid at the State Department. The participants ended their visit by observing the historical U.S. general election first hand on Election Day in New York. 

Visiting editors included:

Katerina Blazhevska, editor of commentaries, Dnevnik daily
Aleksandar Damovski, editor-in-chief, Nova Makedonija
Isen Saliu, editor-in-chief, Lajm Daily
Muhamed Zeqiri, editor-in-chief, Alsat M television
Ljupco Zikov, editor-in-chief, Kapital weekly

Program Updates