The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is working with Ukrainian reporters to improve coverage of the country’s first parliamentary ballot since the Orange Revolution a year ago. Approximately 30 print and broadcast journalists will attend a 5-day workshop in Kiev that emphasizes best practices in political and election coverage. ICFJ is organizing the course in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The workshops will be held from Feb. 6-10 during the run-up to the March 26 elections. This vote is the first since popular protests over corruption and electoral fraud helped carry Viktor Yushchenko into the president’s office.

This program emphasizes the journalistic pursuit of the public interest in terms of solid, internationally accepted standards of reporting. Journalists will be encouraged to look beyond their home cities and regions to consider how the outcome of the vote will affect their fractured country as a whole. The entire program will be rooted in the practice of journalism guided by ethical principles and the requisite skills to apply them when it is time to make tough decisions.

Basic journalistic principles such as the use of multiple sources, the need to strive for objectivity and fairness and to clearly separate fact and opinion will be emphasized throughout the elections workshops. These principles provide the best defense that journalists can muster to preserve their most important asset – their credibility. Participants will also prepare for essential follow-up coverage after the election.

In addition, the workshops will encourage journalists of eastern and western Ukraine to work together and demonstrate how diversity from a U.S. perspective can be a strength that enriches a workplace or even an entire society.

For more information, please contact Bob Tinsley.

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